


Woman and Child

by TheSovereigntyofReality



Series: Woman and Child [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 09:24:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 49
Words: 146,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12230088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSovereigntyofReality/pseuds/TheSovereigntyofReality
Summary: 1 of 5. Rewrite of Season 1. Whenever he goes to the Shadow Realm, Yami finds assistance and a small boy in gold. Who are these people? What does the woman know about him? And who is this child? Warning: there are four implied pairings.





	1. The Heart of the Cards

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer: If you recognise it from somewhere else, it isn't mine**

_Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, Egyptian Kings played games of great and terrible power. But these shadow games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. Until a brave and powerful Pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the mystical millennium items. Now, five thousand years later, a boy named Yugi unlocks the secret of the Millennium Puzzle. He is infused with ancient magical energies. For destiny has chosen him to defend the world from the return of the Shadow Games, just as the brave Pharaoh did five thousand years ago._

In the city of Domino, in a high school classroom, a group of the students stood around watching a couple of the boys play a card game. The blond one stared at the cards in his hand. He seemed to have forgotten about the other boy.

‘Hey, Joey.’ The boy with the tri-coloured hair finally spoke. ‘Earth to Joey! Hey, are you in there? It’s your move.’

Joey pressed his lips together even harder, his fingers dancing over the top of the cards. A brunette girl with a yellow bandanna, which bore some kind of eye, snorted in amusement. Another boy, this one with pointed dark brown hair hooked Joey in a head lock with a laugh.

‘Aw! Isn’t he cute when he’s thinking?’

‘Hey, Tristan.’ Joey showed the guy his cards. ‘Yugi here’s teaching me how to play Duel Monsters.’

Tristan pulled a face. ‘Drooling Monsters?’

Joey shoved him away. ‘Duel Monsters, you nimrod.’

‘Shesh!’ Tristan huffed.

‘They’ve been at it for hours.’ The other brunette girl there explained. ‘Joey’s starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi’s like an expert.’

‘Okay, Yugi.’ Joey threw down a card. ‘It’s time to duel!’

The other girl went on. ‘See, each monster has an attack number and a defence number. First person to eliminate their opponent’s life points wins the duel.’  
‘Pretty good move, huh, Yugi?’ Joey gloated.

‘Yup.’ Yugi smiled and nodded. ‘Pretty good move.’ He threw down his own card. ‘But not good enough.’ His monster had nearly twice the attack power of Joey’s.  
Joey jumped. ‘What?’ He looked up at him. ‘Thanks a lot! A card that powerful totally wipes me out.’

Tristan laughed. ‘Whoa! You stink at this game, Joey.’

Behind them, the school snob glanced up with a smirk. The bandanna girl turned her head at the same time and raised an eyebrow, the friendliness gone from her face. He sneered and went back to his book.

‘Nah, you did fine, Joey,’ Yugi said. ‘I just have better cards. See, my grandpa owns a game shop and I get all my best cards from him.’

Joey was on his feet and eager. ‘Your own game shop? What are we waiting for? Let’s go!’

‘All right,’ Yugi said. ‘Maybe I can even get my grandpa to show us this super-rare card he’s got.’

The school snob looked up again, this time in interest. But this time Bandanna Girl did not turn around. Instead, she watched Yugi, Joey, Tristan and the other brunette girl, Téa, walk out of the classroom. She went to her desk and started packing her things into her school bag.

As Bandanna Girl walked out of the classroom herself, sometime after the school snob left, she pulled a cell phone out of her bag. A few rings before it was answered. ‘It’s Sharee. Look, I need you to do me a favour. For the next twelve hours, monitor any deals and orders that Seto Kaiba does. Because he’s just gone to check out a super-rare card and if he wants it…well, I somehow really doubt that the owner will agree to hand it over…you know, willingly. Okay, thanks.’

Sharee then slowed her walk. She turned and began walking home. Deciding to take the scenic route, due to the fact that she may have to change direction, Sharee ended up sitting on the edge of the pond in the park. She was watching the sun set and smiled at the golden glow on the water.

The cell phone rang and Sharee pulled it out. ‘Hel…he did?’ She checked her watch. ‘Not tonight? Tomorrow.’ She slumped back. ‘Well, in that case…I suppose I can always tell Yugi beforehand. Good point. I usually only see him in class, but I’ll see what I can do.’

Sharee got up and headed home. The next day she knew she would have to find a way to tell Yugi his grandpa was in danger, but every time an opportunity presented itself Kaiba was within listening distance. That wasn’t the way that Sharee had been taught. And then they all got out of the school before she did.

Sharee was racing across the city. She checked her watch as she ran. Yugi would almost be home at that moment. She pulled her cell phone out of her bag as she went. As she was about to begin dialling, it rang.

‘What?’ Sharee nearly yelled into the receiver. ‘Virtual simulator? He’s an old man!’ She could see KaibaCorp in front of her and bolted up into the building. ‘Where am I going? Right. Thanks.’ Sharee hung up and ran to the elevator. She hit the button and was in almost as soon as the doors opened.

‘Right.’ She started dialling and pressed the phone to her ear. It rang…and rang…and rang. ‘Come on, come on, come on, Yugi. Pick…’ There was the click.

‘Hello? Game shop.’

‘Yugi? It’s Sharee Pertinicle.’

‘Oh, yeah. What do you need?’

‘Kaiba didn’t like getting “no” for an answer,’ Sharee said. ‘He hijacked your grandpa earlier today. In fact, I expect that’s Kaiba trying to get through right now.’ She knew they could both hear the tell-tale beeping of an incoming call. ‘I’m already at KaibaCorp. You better get down here.’ She hung up as the doors slid open and she was presented with an empty room, save the sight of the old Mr. Moto collapsed on the floor.

**That conceited little…**

_I couldn’t agree more._

***  
Yugi led Joey, Tristan and Téa into the building and then into the elevator. Moments later it stopped and the doors opened. Sharee Pertinicle was there, leaning over Yugi’s badly injured grandfather. Téa cried out in shock.

Sharee stood up and stepped aside and Yugi ran over to him. ‘Grandpa! Grandpa, are you okay?’

Sharee just shook her head.

His grandfather lifted his head. ‘Yugi, I failed. I tried to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the Heart of the Cards but I lost.’ He cried out in pain and slumped.

‘Grandpa!’

The doors at the other end of the room opened. Kaiba stood there. ‘How’s the old man feeling, hmm?’

‘Kaiba!’ Joey clenched his fist. ‘You sleaze! What have you done to him?’

‘We had a duel, that’s all,’ Kaiba said. ‘With each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize.’

Sharee glared. ‘Yeah, but not an ordinary duel, I’ll bet.’

Kaiba shrugged nonchalantly. ‘I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool.’

Téa pointed at him accusingly. ‘Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself!’

‘It was fair. And look at the sweet prize I won.’ Kaiba pulled the Blue Eyes White Dragon card out of his pocket. He tore it in half.

His grandfather, Téa, Tristan and Joey gasped. Sharee sucked her breath in through her teeth.

‘Grandpa’s most treasured card!’ Yugi’s words were shaky.

‘Yes,’ Kaiba said. ‘The Blue Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card. And this one will never be used against me.’

‘That still doesn’t make sense!’ Sharee glared at him. ‘You go to all this trouble, coercing an aged man into a duel that did damage to his health, all for that card and then you just tear it up? Are you insane?’

‘My Blue Eyes White Dragon…’ His grandfather tried to reach for the torn card. ‘My treasure…’

‘Grandpa, hold on!’ Yugi looked up at Kaiba, glaring. ‘How could you do such a thing?’

‘Yugi, here.’ His grandfather held his deck out to him. ‘Take this.’

‘Huh?’ Yugi looked down at him. ‘Grandpa…’

‘I built this deck,’ he said. ‘I put my soul in these cards. And I taught you everything I know, Yugi. Take them. Take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the Heart of the Cards, Yugi.’

‘But, grandpa, you need help,’ Yugi said. ‘I have to get you to a doctor!’

‘Sounds like an excuse.’ Kaiba stepped down the stairs. ‘Your friends can care for your grandfather, while you and I duel. Unless you’re afraid.’

Yugi glared at Kaiba, torn. On one hand, he wanted to get up and show this guy what Duel Monsters was really all about, but on the other he felt like looking after his grandpa was his responsibility. Sharee had already taken part of that from here and he owned her for that.

‘Take him, Yugi!’

Yugi turned around and looked at Joey.

‘We can take care of your grandpa while you take care of Creepy Kaiba,’ Joey said. ‘Teach that rich, spoiled brat what a real duel’s all about.’

Téa was in complete agreement. ‘For your grandpa, Yugi!’

‘I don’t know,’ Yugi said.

‘Trust me,’ Joey said. ‘You’re like the best player I’ve ever seen and you’ve got the Millennium Puzzle.’

‘That’s a big one,’ Sharee agreed. ‘With that thing, Kaiba’s chances of beating you are next to non-existent!’

‘You can do this, Yugi!’ Joey insisted. ‘I know you can.’

‘We all do,’ Tea said.

They were right. Yugi nodded and turned back around, taking the deck from his grandfather. ‘Okay, grandpa. I’ll do it.’

‘I know you will, my boy.’

Téa pulled a black permanent marker out of her skirt pocket. ‘Everyone, put your hands together.’ The five of them did and Tea drew a symbol on the backs of their hands. ‘And I’ll mark us with a special sign.’

The boys and Sharee lifted their hands and looked at it.

‘What gives, Téa?’ Joey asked.

Téa smiled and explained. ‘It’s a symbol of our friendship so when Yugi’s duelling, no matter how tough it gets, he’ll know that he’s not alone. We’re all right there with him!’  
They split off after that. Joey, Téa and Tristan took Yugi’s grandpa outside. Sharee handed them her cell phone before they went so that they could call the ambulance. She came with Yugi into the Duelling area. Once the two combatants were on the platforms and being shifted into position, Kaiba began gloating.

‘I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive, hmm? I think you’ll agree it adds a bit more life to the game. We each begin with two thousand live points. First player to hit zero loses.’ He focused on his control panel. ‘Are you ready to play, runt?’

‘Play time is over, Kaiba!’ Yugi spoke with far more confidence than he had before.

Kaiba looked up and Yugi felt it happening. The words spilled from his lips in a loud yell that no one ever seemed to hear.

‘YU-GI-OHHHH!’

His vision went white and he felt a warm pressure against his mind. When this had first begun, Yugi’s mind had blanked out the experience. Why, he still didn’t know, but he felt as though someone else slipped into his body. It was almost like a divine guide. He always seemed to get taller and his voice changed when this happened.  
Maybe there was another person inside of him though. But this someone had a darker personality. His…Yami, he supposed.

***

Yami’s vision returned in time to see Kaiba draw back with a, ‘What the…?’

‘Now, Kaiba.’ He spoke in a deeper, stronger voice. ‘Prepare yourself, because it’s time to duel.’

Kaiba quickly recovered himself and both of them drew five cards. Yami could see he had decided whatever he thought he saw was just a figment of his imagination. _Oh, don’t you wish, Kaiba. Don’t you wish._

‘Virtual systems ready,’ Kaiba said. ‘So let’s begin.’ He drew a card and laid it down on the field. ‘I attack with the mighty Hitopsumi Giant.’ The field between them began to glow. ‘Brace yourself, Yugi. You’ve never duelled like this before.’

The monster took shape on the field.

‘Ah.’ Yami took a step back. At the same time, something triggered in his buried memories. This was normal, despite the fact that he couldn’t recall ever seeing it. ‘He’s brought the monster on the card to life.’

‘It’s my virtual simulator,’ Kaiba said. ‘It creates life-like holograms of every duel monster.’

In the space of less than a second, Yami found the definition for “hologram” in Yugi’s mind: an artificial projection creating a three-dimensional image. It was a relatively new development in technology. An aged man would be unprepared for such a thing. ‘So this is how you beat my grandfather.’ Better for Kaiba to think he truly was Yugi Moto. He drew a card. ‘Well, now it’s my turn.’ He laid the card down. ‘I call on the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!’

The dragon took form opposite the Hitopsumi Giant.

‘Wha...? Monsters?’ Joey cried in surprise from below. ‘Real monsters?’

‘Holograms, Joey.’ That should have been Sharee.

A glance down and Yami remembered because of what he saw. Instead of Sharee’s general pose of leaning or sitting on the barrier with her arms folded across her chest and her legs crossed, she was standing with her legs spaced at shoulder width and her hands folded behind her back.

Shamee, through a loyalty to him, had refused to allow him to go through this task – of which had been removed from his memory – alone. But she too required a vessel. And that, obviously, was Sharee Pertinicle. That was why she had looked out for Yugi’s grandfather.

They were two of the same.

The Hitopsumi Giant charged forward.

‘Fireball attack!’ Yami ordered.

The Winged Dragon spat fire, destroying Kaiba’s monster. Kaiba shielded his face from the light and the heat as his life points dropped to 1800. Yami noticed, on the opposite side, a boy of about twelve years ran over.

‘Big brother!’ he called to Kaiba. ‘Are you all right?’

Yami glanced at Shamee. She was looking at the boy in mild interest as Joey cheered beside her. Ah. So Kaiba did care about somebody beyond himself. It would be only his younger brother though. Still, it was better than nothing. It would seem Seto Kaiba was not the lost cause he appeared to be.

Kaiba drew another card. ‘Huh. Well-played, Yugi. For a beginner. But how will you deal with this.’ He threw that card down and another monster took form with a chilling laugh.

Yami frowned in confusion. ‘Soggy, the Dark Clown? But that card has hardly any attack strength.’

‘True, your Winged Dragon’s attack is 1400 while my Dark Clown’s is only six hundred, but if I combine it with this card…’ Kaiba laid another card down.

Now it made sense. ‘A magic card.’

‘Exactly,’ Kaiba said. ‘The negative energy generator. It multiplies my monster’s attack by three. Dark Clown attack with Dark Light!’

The Dark Clown threw an attack and the Winged Dragon was destroyed. Yugi’s life points dropped to 1600 as Kaiba gloated.

‘As you can see, combining cards can be very effective.’

Shamee scoffed loudly from where she stood.

Yami gritted his teeth and listened to Yugi’s thoughts. _He’s good. He knows every aspect of this game._ Yami reached down for the deck and pressed his fingers to it. _But my grandpa put all his gaming knowledge, his whole heart, into assembling this deck._ A drawback of the situation he was in was that his actions, while still his own, were still synced to Yugi’s thoughts while the boy was still somewhat oblivious to his presence. He drew another card. _I have to believe it that holds some secret strategy._

The card he drew was vaguely familiar to Yami. It was a shackled leg…something…it was something…whatever it was, Yugi didn’t seem to think of that. _This card is useless. I can’t beat the Dark Clown with this._ Well, that was true. _I’ll have to use a different monster in defence mode. The monster will be sacrificed, but my overall life points will be saved._ He laid the monster face-down. The Dark Clown, upon Kaiba’s command, attacked and destroyed the monster.

‘Hang in there, Yugi!’ Joey called, slamming his fists down on the barrier.

Monster after monster after monster fell to Soggy the Dark Clown. Kaiba laughed and Yami ground his teeth as this happened. There had to be a way to get through this duel monster.

Kaiba seemed to like gloating. ‘You’re not fairing any better than the old man did, Yugi. Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your grandfather.’

‘My grandpa is a great man and a better duellist than you’ll ever be,’ Yami said. ‘He entrusted me with his cards and I can feel his heart in this deck.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba.’

‘Wha…?’ Kaiba was sufficiently stunned.

‘But I believe in my grandpa’s deck.’ Yami drew the card. He smirked. ‘And my faith rewards me with Gaia, the Fierce Knight! With a destructive power of 2300.’

Kaiba drew back. Gaia charged and skewered the Dark Clown, destroying him and dropping Kaiba’s life points to 1300. That was that headache out of the way.

Joey pumped his fist into the air. ‘Way to go, Yugi!’

Shamee nodded once.

‘All right, Kaiba,’ Yami said. ‘Your move.’

‘Hah!’ The fool didn’t even care about his monsters. ‘This’ll be over sooner than you think.’ He drew a card. ‘I call on the Blue Eyes White Dragon!’

The beast took form. Yami drew back. ‘Huh? No way!’

‘What?’ Shamee’s posture suddenly broke, her hands coming from behind her back.

‘Impossible!’ Joey insisted. ‘We all watched Kaiba tear that card in half!’

‘Surprised?’ Kaiba asked. ‘Did you think your grandfather was the only one to possess a Blue Eyes White Dragon?’

The Dragon attacked the Gaia was vaporised. Yami grunted as he covered his face from the light. It could’ve been his imagination, but he swore that he could feel heat from it too.

‘Huh,’ Kaiba said as Yugi’s life points dropped to 900. ‘Your Fierce Knight is destroyed. Faith or no faith, you will fall before my superior monsters, Yugi. Power is what this game is all about, you fool. Faith is for losers, like your pathetic grandfather. In your entire deck, there’s not a single card that can stand up to a Blue Eyes White Dragon…so what hope do you have against two?’ He held up a second one.

‘How many of those things do you have?’ Shamee demanded as the second one appeared on the field. ‘Oh, what am I asking for? You can only possibly have one more!’

‘Why do you say that?’ Joey asked her.

‘Because there’s only one more in the world.’

Kaiba ignored them. ‘Why don’t you just admit defeat, Yugi?’

Yami felt a gentle curtesy prod at his mind and he knew it was Shamee trying to establish communication. He allowed her through.

_‘Because the last time you lost, everyone did.’_

A flash of a burning city came to his mind. That wouldn’t happen here, but the point was the same.

‘I won’t give up.’ The next part was sentiments of Yugi’s. ‘Grandpa’s counting on me.’ He drew a magic card and immediately put it to use. ‘Swords of Revealing Light! It stops all monsters on the field for three turns.’

‘How desperate,’ Kaiba remarked. ‘What possible good will a three-turn delay do you?’

Yugi, it seemed, was a lot more prone to giving up than Yami was. _He’s right. What do I do? I can’t figure out what to do with these cards. Neither of them could. They’re just a bunch of…pieces. How can I use them to battle an expert like Kaiba?_

‘For someone claiming to have faith, you’re giving up too easily, Yugi.’

The man had reached out to his grandson’s mind. Yami shifted them, then he turned and allowed Yugi control of the mouth. He was just a boy, after all. He needed advice from an authoritive figure that he trusted. In the back of Yami’s mind, he remembered that.

‘Listen, sometimes the cards are like a puzzle,’ his grandfather said. ‘You have to put all the pieces in their proper place.’

‘Oh! Like the Millennium Puzzle?’ Yugi asked.

‘Exactly,’ his grandfather said. ‘Each piece helps build a greater entity.’ He disappeared.

Yugi reached for him. ‘Grandpa!’

‘Like the piece of a puzzle, Yugi,’ his grandfather called. ‘Remember!’

Yugi suddenly remembered something. _Puzzle? Line up the cards like a puzzle. Wait! Grandpa once said…“Duel monsters contains only one unstoppable monster: Exodia. But he can only be summoned by drawing all five special cards. A feat that, to this very day, no one has ever accomplished!”_

Kaiba’s voice drew him out of his head. ‘Quit your stalling, Yugi! Or you will forfeit the match.’

‘I never forfeit.’ Yami took control again and drew a card. It was an arm. Yugi’s excitement grew. Another piece of the puzzle!

‘Draw any card you like,’ Kaiba said. ‘It won’t change a thing. My Dragons maybe frozen for another two turns but my new monster is under no such spell.’ He threw another card down. ‘The Judge Man!’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘With an attack power of 2200.’

The Judge Man destroyed Yami’s defence.

Yami drew another card, finding it to be his favourite. He always felt a certain…strange attachment to this monster, like he was an old friend. Yugi seemed to feel something similar. _I can attack with the Dark Magician, but he won’t stand a chance once Kaiba’s Dragons are free of my spell._

All the same, Yami threw the card down. ‘Dark Magician! Attack!’

The Dark Magician attacked and destroyed the Judge Man. Kaiba’s life points fell down to 1000.

‘Your Judge Man falls,’ Yami said.

‘Oh, a sacrifice that doesn’t even faze me.’ Kaiba looked down at his newly drawn card. ‘And though neither Dragon can move for one more turn, my next card is…a third Blue Eyes White Dragon!’

Ancient Egyptian profanity shot through Yami’s head. Though how he knew it, he had no idea. The third Dragon appeared and attacked, on Kaiba’s call, destroying Yami’s Dark Magician. Yami grunted in frustration and covered his face. He definitely felt the heat of the attack from that one. His life points dropped to 400.

‘So, tell me, Yugi. How’s your faith now?’ And, back to the gloating. ‘On my next turn, all three Blue Eyes White Dragons are free to attack. This game’s over no matter what card you draw.’

‘Don’t listen, Yugi!’ Joey called.

It now made sense. _Kaiba had three Blue Eyes all along. He only wanted grandpa’s card so it couldn’t be used against him._ And he’d torn that up out of spite. He didn’t need it and he knew that, but he knew it’d hurt them to do it. _My only chance now is to assemble all the piece of Exodia. But the odds are against me._ Yami reached for the deck. _I don’t think I can do this._

Yami jumped. The deck seemed to drift away. ‘The deck, it senses my…’ _our_ ‘…doubt.’ Yugi cried out. Yami reached back and gently guided Yugi. ‘Don’t loose focus, Yugi. Don’t lose faith. Concentrate!’

Yugi suddenly caught sight of the mark on his hand. Our friendship symbol! Modern day humans and the things they felt they needed to do to connect! It was silly – you were connected no matter where you are and you didn’t need an ink mark to prove it – but he was glad for it. Yugi drew on the bond he shared with his friends. All he had to do…

‘Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi,’ Kaiba said.

‘My grandpa’s deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba,’ Yami said. ‘But it does contain…’ He held up the fifth and final card. ‘…the Unstoppable Exodia.’

Horror, as if he was being attacked by a real monster, crossed Kaiba’s face. ‘Impossible!’

‘I’ve assembled all five special cards,’ Yami said as the Forbidden One began to emerge. ‘All five piece of the puzzle!’

‘Exodia!’ Kaiba fell back against the railing behind him, as he stared up as the creature before him. ‘It’s not possible! No one’s ever been able to call him!’

Exodia began building up energy in his hands. Yami remembered a state of exhaustion the last time he’d called this particular monster. He’d just wished he’d had more energy to enjoy it…where did that thought come from?

‘Exodia!’ Yami called. ‘Obliterate!’

The Forbidden One threw the attack and Kaiba screamed as his Dragons were blown to pieces. His life points hit zero. Shamee nodded in satisfaction.

‘You did it!’ Joey called. ‘Yugi, you won!’

Yami also heard Kaiba’s younger brother say, ‘This can’t be! My brother never loses.’

‘You play only for power, Kaiba, and that is why you lost,’ Yami said. ‘But if you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can’t do.’

‘But…’ Kaiba stared at the score. ‘But how…? How could I have lost to him.’

‘Kaiba.’ The Millennium Eye appeared on Yami’s forehead and he focused his energy. ‘If you truly want to know…open your mind!’ Extending his hand, he banished the dark part of Kaiba’s soul into the Shadow Realm.

Kaiba fell to his knees.

‘There, Kaiba,’ Yami said. ‘Maybe now you will begin to see.’

 **Pegasus Castle**  
A man in a suit stood at a door and addressed his boss. ‘Mr. Pegasus, sir. Seto Kaiba, our uncontested champion. He’s been defeated in a duel, sir, by someone named “Yugi”.’

‘Hmm.’ Maximillion Pegasus looked forward and his Millennium Eye flashed. He’d long ago realised that Seto Kaiba could only be defeated by someone in possession of one of the seven Millennium Items. And the quick scan he just did showed him that this Yugi-boy did indeed have one.

Excellent.

Oh…what was this? He was, at that very point in time, walking out of KaibaCorp offices with another boy and a girl who was wearing a bandanna that also had Shadow Powers.  
All three were teenagers.

The girl was saying that she wanted to warn him about Kaiba’s interest in Yugi’s grandfather earlier but every time there was a chance, Kaiba-boy was within earshot. She was telling him she never liked to let the enemy know that she knew what they were doing, because then they liked to change plans.

One to be cautious of.


	2. The Gauntlet is Thrown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi could never have predicted the consequences of beating Seto Kaiba in a duel.

‘Joey, make a move, already!’ Tristan told him.

This time he was playing against Téa. Both Yugi and Sharee were sitting on the side of the game while the rest of their friends stood around the duel. Yugi was smiling but Sharee was pulling a mildly disturbed face.

Joey laid down a card. ‘Kay! Here you go, tough guy! My rock ogre’s going to rock your block off!’

Téa turned a card over.

‘Yeah!’ Joey scoffed. ‘Like that wimpy card’s going to stand a chance against my rock guy! Give it up!’

‘Guess I don’t stand a chance unless maybe I use…’ Téa put down another card. ‘…the Breath of Light Card.’

Joey looked at it, confused. ‘Huh? Can she do that?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ Yugi said. ‘There Breath of Light wears down rock monsters. Reduces them to rubble!’

Sharee leaned over and whispered to Yugi. ‘I can’t ever recall seeing Joey use a magic or a trap card. I’d be surprised if he even had any in his deck.’

Yugi frowned. That was something to think about. If Joey’s deck was loaded with monster cards…it explained why he never won.

Téa grinned. ‘That brings your life points down to zero, Joey. Once again, you lose and I rock!’

‘You stink at this game!’ Tristan announced.

Later, Yugi and Joey were out on the bars.

‘Tristan’s right, Yugi,’ Joey said. ‘I do stink. I can’t win a duel monsters to save my life. What is it, Yugi? Why can’t I ever win? Teach me what I’m doing wrong.’

Yugi hopped down. ‘Well, let’s start by checking your deck, Joey.’ First thing was to find out if Sharee was right.

‘Huh?’ Joey dug it out of his pocket. ‘Kay.’

Yugi soon found out that Sharee was completely right. Joey’s deck was entirely made up of monster cards. After Yugi explained the problem, they had to get him some magic and trap cards. Hopefully his grandfather would be able to help.

***

Sharee sat upstairs of the game shop in the lounge room with Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Téa. The past few weeks had consisted of Grandpa Moto training Joey in Duel Monsters and sometimes Sharee came around to watch. She’d decided he was a great disciplinarian.

All of them turned their attention to the TV as the program came on.

‘Good evening, duel fans, and our ten million viewers at home. And welcome to our Duel Monsters Dueldom, where tonight the Duel Monsters Regional Championship will be decided! Of the two hundred duellists that have competed in this marathon tournament, only two competitors remain standing. Put your cards together for Weevil Underwood, the Bug Brawler!’

Sharee’s opinion was he looked like one of those cocky little worms from school.

‘And his opponent, the number one ranked Rex Raptor, Dino Duellist!’

And he wasn’t much better. He just didn’t have that creepy little grin.

‘Bug Boy versus Dinosaur Breath?’ Joey demanded. ‘What kind of match is that? That should’ve been me in there!’

Sharee looked at him indulgently. _Like a hyperactive kid, in’t he?_

_**Long as his heart’s in the right place and, trust me, it is.** _

Téa looked at him. ‘I know you’ve been training for weeks, but those guys are in another league. You’re just not ready yet.’

‘Sure, rub it in.’ Joey sat back and shut his eyes.

‘And, on top of that, you’re so tired you can’t keep your eyes open,’ Yugi added.

Almost to prove the point, Joey began snoring.

‘I think grandpa’s lessons have been a bit too tough for him,’ Yugi said.

‘I wouldn’t want to enter a tournament anyway,’ Sharee said.

That woke Joey up. ‘What? Why not?’

Sharee looked back at the TV where the duel had begun. ‘Because most that do, generally the ones who hit the top, are self-centred and cocky. I prefer to duel for fun.’

Joey huffed and hung his head. ‘I must’ve been nuts to think I could ever learn this crazy game!’

Grandpa Moto suddenly appeared behind them. ‘Time for your lesson.’

Joey spun around. ‘What? We’re not done?’

‘Not by a long shot, you slacker,’ Grandpa Moto said.

Sharee smiled to herself. Joey groaned.

‘Now, quit your whining, Joseph,’ Grandpa Moto told him. ‘I know you’ve been working long and hard but you really are coming along as a duellist and I’m quite proud of you.’

Sharee laughed when Joey went to hug him but he moved.

‘By the way, Yugi,’ he said. ‘This package came for you.’

‘Package?’ Yugi asked. ‘What is it, gramps?’

‘I don’t know,’ Grandpa Moto said. ‘It just came in the mail.’

‘Huh.’ Yugi took the package and looked at it.

Sharee leaned over. ‘Hey, it’s from Industrial Illusions!’

‘Industrial Illusions?’ Joey climbed back onto the couch. ‘That’s the company that makes the Duel Monsters game! Why the heck would they be sending a package to you, Yugi?’

‘I have no idea,’ Yugi said. ‘Is it possible that they heard that I beat the world champion?’

‘Maybe,’ Sharee said. _**Very likely.**_ ‘If someone on the Board of Directors or whatever it is has a Millennium Item, they’d know.’ She’d spoke a lot about those things since she started hanging out with these four. Mostly, it was too imply they were significant.

‘You’ll have to explain that later,’ Yugi said. ‘I mean, it wasn’t an official match or anything, but Kaiba did drop out of the tournament because of me.’

Sharee rolled her eyes. So he got beaten! Big deal. That happened a lot. She got beaten in a lot of things. In her opinion, if you were undefeated in something it’d be better to find someone to beat you and be glad for it. But…that was probably just her.

Joey put his hand to his head. ‘Just hearing Kaiba’s name gives me a headache.’

‘Whoa!’ Tristan, it appeared, was paying more attention to the duel on the TV. ‘Guys, Raptor just stomped Weevil!’

They all returned their attention to the screen.

‘Yugi, these guys any good?’ Joey asked.

‘Oh, yeah,’ Yugi said. ‘They’re both pretty tough customers. Weevil specialises in insect cards and he’s a great strategist. Then you’ve got Rex Raptor and his dinosaur cards. He uses their power to overwhelm his opponents.’

‘Itsy-bitsy bugs versus duelling dinosaurs?’ Joey asked. ‘Raptor has got this one in the bag.’

‘I wouldn’t be so sure,’ Yugi said.

Raptor summoned a monster and the announcer had, in Sharee’s opinion, a real bad word choice. ‘Oh, and Raptor plays the strongest card in his deck: the terrible Two-Headed King Rex! Looks like this match could be over right here, right now!’

_What would he say if Raptor pulled out an even stronger monster?_   
_**Probably the same thing. It’s an ancient concept: say something ill-advised, pretend you didn’t do it.** _

Weevil sniggered and laid a card down.

‘And Weevil Underwood counters…with the Basic Insect card!’

_Trap._ _**Trap.**_ Sharee smirked to herself. That was in unison.

Joey, it seemed, wasn’t quite so astute. ‘He plays a wimpy bug against a giant dinosaur? The place’ll be covered in bug guts!’

‘Maybe,’ Yugi said. ‘But I wouldn’t underestimate Weevil.’

King Rex attacked and was caught in a vortex trap card. Then armour and laser cannon appeared on the Basic Insect, increasing its attack points which were then used. King Rex was destroyed and Raptor’s life points dropped down to zero.

‘A stunning upset by Weevil Underwood, our newest champion!’

The camera followed Weevil as he was lowered to the ground and he held up his duelling deck. Sharee nodded to herself. Joey was as surprised as she’d expected him to be. He leaned forward.

‘Man, King Rex squashed by an insect?’ he asked.

The announcer called Sharee’s attention again. ‘And now a very special honour for our new champion. Here to present the Duel Monsters Championship Trophy, the Creator of Duel Monsters and the President of Industrial Illusions, ladies and gentlemen and fellow duellists, I give Mr. Maximillion Peggg-asus!’

A panel in the floor slid open and a man with long hair, part of which falling over his right eye, and in an expensive red suit was risen up. It could’ve been Sharee’s imagination but…when they did a close-up of his face…‘Is it just me…or does anyone else think he maybe has an artificial right eye?’

Grandpa Moto glanced at her. ‘No, I heard he lost his right eye in an accident and has a golden one in its place.’

Pegasus’s voice was heard as he handed over the trophy. ‘Congratulations. And, as Regional Champion, I invite you to compete in a bold new tournament I’m hosting at Duellist Kingdom.’

Alarm bells went off in Sharee’s head.

***

Yugi’s grandpa chuckled. ‘With all the excitement of the Championship, you forgot to open your package, Yugi.’

‘What could it be?’ Yugi wondered as he opened it.

All of them were crouched around it. ‘Huh?’

‘Some kind of glove,’ Téa said.

‘And stars,’ Joey added.

‘Stars probably go in the glove,’ Sharee surmised. ‘Some kind of…grading system?’

‘Maybe there’s an explanation on the video,’ Tristan suggested as Yugi picked up the tape in question.

‘Pop it in and check it out,’ Joey said.

‘Okay.’ Yugi went over and did just that. They all followed him and the lot of them crouched around the screen.

A publicly well-known face appeared on the screen. ‘Greetings, little Yugi, I am Maximillion Pegasus.’

All six of them started. Sharee squinted again, trying to see the artificial eye through his hair.

‘Pegasus?’ Joey asked.

‘We just saw him on TV!’ Téa stated they what they were all thinking.

Behind him, Yugi’s grandfather was muttering to himself. ‘The famous Maximillion Pegasus sends greetings to my Yugi?’

‘I have heard some terribly interesting things about you, Yugi,’ Pegasus went on. ‘Your impressive defeat of Seto Kaiba intrigued me so much I’ve decided to investigate your amazing duelling skills personally. Right here, right now. We shall hold a special duel. We’ll play with a strict time limit of fifteen minutes and when time’s up, the player with the highest life points will be winner. Are you ready?’

Yugi leaned forward. ‘What?’

For some reason, Sharee leapt to her feet. Something in this must have startled her – and Yugi didn’t think it was the impossibility of the whole concept. She actually looked scared.

‘Whoa!’ Joey exclaimed. ‘He can’t seriously expect you to fight a duel against a video tape!’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan said. ‘That’s crazy!’

Pegasus chuckled, his voice seeming to shift from recording to real life. ‘No…it’s magic!’ He raised his hair and Yugi saw a golden eye in his right socket, just like Sharee had thought. And it glowed.

Something went over them, a chill ran through Yugi’s body.

‘The Millennium Eye,’ Sharee said from behind him, voice tight.

Yugi spun around. Only Sharee and himself were normal. Joey, Tristan, Téa and his grandfather were all frozen. The living room was gone. Yugi muttered everything he saw. ‘Everything’s growing dark and cold and the others aren’t moving. What have you done to them? Where have you taken us?’

Sharee’s eyes narrowed. ‘The Shadow Realm.’

Pegasus chuckled. He definitely sounded like he was really there now. ‘We’re no longer in the world you know, but I will return you…after our game.’

Yugi turned back around. ‘Then it’s time to duel!’

And there was that feeling…like somebody else was taking control of his body. Yugi saw, right before his vision whited-out, a golden glow that he was sure only he could see. It was surrounding Sharee.

***

Yami opened his eyes. ‘Start the clock and make your move, Pegasus.’

‘Certainly. Let’s begin.’ The screen pulled back, revealing a duelling board in front of him. One appeared in front of Yami as well. The clock began ticking down. Yami noticed Shamee’s attention was diverted. On one hand, she was paying attention to the duel, on another she sensed something.

Pegasus went on as they drew their cards. ‘Nervous, Yugi-boy? You should be. You have never faced a duellist like me before.’

‘You maybe good…’

‘I assure you, I am.’

‘…but I will beat you to save my friends.’ Yami pulled a card from his hand and was about to throw it down.

‘You won’t save anyone with that dragon card,’ Pegasus said as his eye glowed.

‘How…?’ Yami froze. It was a Komori Dragon but he hadn’t even revealed the card yet.

Shamee was quick to explain. ‘The Millennium Eye, which we saw just before, allows him to look into peoples’ minds.’

Oh…yes. He remembered now.

Pegasus hummed in approval. ‘Someone’s done her homework. But as the daughter of a prominent Egyptologist, I would expect that of you. You certainly have easier access to the information.’ He addressed Yugi again. ‘I told you you’d never faced anyone like me before. I know every move you’ll make before you can even make it.’ He smirked. ‘And that gives me a distinct advantage, wouldn’t you say?’

Yami ground his teeth.

‘For example,’ Pegasus held up a card, ‘I can anticipate your next play and counter it with this Dragon Capture Jar.’ A bright light came out of the card and Yami had to cover his eyes. When the light faded, Yami looked to see the card had truly come to life. That felt familiar. Pegasus went on, unhindered. ‘It will draw the Komori Dragon from your card and imprison the beast.’ The monster was sucked into the card. ‘Trapped, never to be played against me.’

Yami understood all this, but Yugi didn’t. He was frozen. _This is crazy! First he reads my mind, then he brings the monster on my card to life._ Yami wished he could reassure the boy but there was nothing to be done.

Pegasus began speaking again. ‘As young Sharee said before, this dark dimension we’re in is known as the Shadow Realm. A mystical place where incredible monsters can be summoned and the impossible is quite possible.’

Yami already knew all this. Even though the memories had been buried, the core reason – the Shadow Games – had been left. He needed to know that, but he also couldn’t have someone like Pegasus knowing what he knew. Thankfully, while Yugi was at least partially ignorant of his presence, the Millennium Eye couldn’t pick up Yami’s thoughts. Instead, he voiced Yugi’s.

‘But what you’re telling me can’t be true!’

‘Tell me, Yugi,’ Pegasus said. ‘Do you believe there is magic in these cards?’

‘Don’t you know?’ Yami pulled another card from his hand and repeated Yugi’s belief. It was wrong, but Yugi Moto had no way of knowing that. ‘You invented this game.’

‘What if I told you I didn’t?’ Pegasus asked.

Admitting it, are we? Yami let Yugi’s shock show on his face. ‘Huh?’

‘In ancient times, the Egyptians called this the Shadow Games,’ Pegasus said. ‘Powerful Pharaohs would hold mystical duels in other dimensions, just as we’re doing now. But not with cards. They battled with real monsters and real magic.’

Yami kept up the pretence, using Yugi’s emotions to guide his reactions.

‘Magical forces so powerful that the Egyptians lost control of them and nearly destroyed the entire world.’

In the back of his mind, Yami registered that was off the mark. Only slightly, but he was wrong. ‘It’s a good story, Pegasus, but these monsters can’t be real!’

A beast emerged out of Pegasus’s side of the board. ‘Tell that to my Dragon Piper as his Flute of Resurrection frees your Komori Dragon but puts him under my control!’

Oh, sandstorm! ‘I have to counter-attack!’ Yami threw down a card. ‘Silverfang!’

The monster leapt out of its card and met the Komori Dragon, which burned it to nothing. Yami shielded his face. ‘The heat!’

When the fire vanished, Yami lowered his arm. Silverfang was destroyed and his life points dropped to 1500. So Pegasus knew more than most modern-day people…and was willing to use the Shadow Games for his own ends.

‘Ha! As you see, Yugi, these monsters are very real.’ Pegasus chuckled. ‘And also quite dangerous.’

Yami just glared at him.

Pegasus stopped his laughing. ‘Ah, Yugi-boy, you really are quite entertaining. The way you scowl and sneer. So defiant and yet helpless. And yet so completely ignorant of the power of your Millennium Puzzle.’

Oh, rat rot! That was it. Pegasus wanted his Millennium Puzzle. Yugi didn’t get it but Yami did. He could do one of two things here. He could acknowledge that, yes, he was actually aware of the power that hung around his neck. Except Yugi wasn’t and he was in control of the body most of the time. On top of that, if Pegasus knew the level of ignorance he believed didn’t exist he might do someone some damage.

So he went for Yugi’s approach. ‘What?’ Huh. It sounded as if he honestly didn’t know what the other man was going on about.

‘Five thousand years ago a powerful Pharaoh locked the power of the Shadow Games away,’ Pegasus said.

‘What’s this have to do with me?’ Yami asked, but something was trying to get through the edge of his consciousness.

‘The Pharaoh captured these vast magical energies in seven mystical Millennium Items,’ Pegasus said.

Shamee huffed. ‘Yes, yes, yes. The Key, the Rod, the Scales, the Eye, the Necklace, the Ring and the Puzzle. Whosoever wields all seven items shall hold power unimaginable.’

Yami looked at her. ‘You didn’t mention your Bandanna.’

Shamee shrugged. ‘Even though it’s called the Millennium Bandanna, it’s not officially recognised as a Millennium Item. Its powers were given quite a number of years later.’ She scratched the end of her nose. ‘Each item has different mystical energies locked within it.’

Pegasus pointed at him. ‘Magic that could change your life forever if you only know how to unleash it.’

‘But why are you telling me this?’ Yami asked.

‘Maybe it has something to do with that…?’ Shamee sounded stumped suddenly.

Yami looked and he knew Pegasus did too. What he saw explained why Shamee was so confused. A boy had wandered out of the shadows. He had tanned skin, like theirs used to be, and dark brown hair. He was looking at Yami with wide purple eyes. His clothes also begged a question. He was wearing a white tunic and a solid gold collar. On his wrists and ankles were bands, also made out of solid gold, protecting his forearms and lower legs.

As opposed to struggling under the weight, the boy seemed used to it. Shamee exhaled heavily, dropping her hand in her head.

‘A pure heart, void of evil,’ she said. ‘I thought that was what I sensed.’

Yes, a five year old boy would have a heart void of evil.

Pegasus clicked his tongue. ‘Like so many. So young, such a waste. That boy there is a soul imprisoned here. By looking at him, I’d say he’s been here since the Shadow Games of old. Actually…’ He scrutinised the boy.

The child reacted. His eyes widening and he shot over, right to Yami. Even though he didn’t know the child…he was reasonably sure, Yami used his free arm to hold the boy against his side. He felt tiny hands fist in his jacket and a small head peek out from under his arm.

‘…the glade that broke the horse’s leg,’ Pegasus said. ‘The way he’s dressed, it would be safe to say he’s from the Egyptian Royal Household. Possibly, when this boy was lost, the Pharaoh decided enough was enough.’

‘So very nice to know that you care,’ Yami just about spat. He turned his attentions to the boy and rubbed his head. Lowering his voice, he whispered reassuringly, somehow knowing his words were true. ‘He won’t harm you. Just stay behind the woman, who first saw you, and myself.’

The boy looked up at him and nodded, slowly extracting himself from Yami’s arm and allowing him to return to the duel.

Pegasus clicked his tongue. ‘Much better. Perhaps I have said too much and, seeing as the clock is still ticking, I propose we resume playing our little duel.’

Yugi’s thoughts rang in his head. _He’s right. Time’s running out and I still haven’t figured out if he can really read my mind of if it’s all some kind of trick._ Yami reached for another card in his hand. _I’ve gotta do something. Maybe my zombie warrior…_ He froze. _Wait a minute! He definitely knows what I’m about to do. But how? It’s gotta have something to do with that weird eye of his. That’s it, isn’t it? That weird eye must somehow let him see the cards in my hand, so no matter which card I pick he’s already one step ahead of me. But that gives me an idea._

‘Hurry up, now, Yugi-boy, time is running out…for you and your friends.’

Yami felt the child behind him shift. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shamee look at the five year old and raise a finger to her lips. This boy…there had to be a connection between the two of them. The boy knew the one in control of the body was not Yugi.

Yugi’s voice continued. _Pegasus is expecting me to play one of the cards in my hand, but what if I play a card even I haven’t seen yet?_ It was a good idea. Yami moved as Yugi thought. _What happens if I draw a card straight from the deck without even looking at it?_

‘I already know you plan to play the Zombie Warrior,’ Pegasus said. ‘And I’m already prepared to counter it with a trap card that makes even zombies lie down and play dead.’

Yami smirked. ‘Not this time. I figured out your little game, Pegasus. You may be able to see the cards in my hand, but you can’t see the ones I pull from the deck.’

‘Hm?’ Pegasus’s eye narrowed.

‘My next card is…’ Yami turned it over. ‘…the Dark Magician!’

Pegasus glared at him for a second and then lifted his hand. ‘Oo! The big, scary Dark Magician.’

‘Mock me all you like, Pegasus,’ Yami said. ‘But my Magician will destroy that Dragon!’

‘Go ahead if you think it’ll help,’ Pegasus said.

‘It’ll do more than “help”, Pegasus,’ Yami said. ‘It’ll bring you closer to defeat and bring me closer to saving my friends.’

Pegasus seemed to smile to himself. ‘If it can do all that, by all means play it.’

The Dark Magician came out of the card as Yami called for it. ‘Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!’

The Dark Magician attacked the Dragon. Pegasus cried out and shielded his eyes as the monster was destroyed, but then he lifted his head and started laughing despite the fact that his life points dropped to 1200. The little boy slid even further behind Yami.

‘Nicely played!’ Pegasus complimented him. ‘But, by using your Dark Magician, you’ve let me manipulate you once again.’

Yami drew back.

‘By playing that one card, you have ensured my victory,’ Pegasus said.

Yami hardened his features. ‘No.’

‘We shall see, Yugi.’ Pegasus drew. ‘Oh! A very rare card.’ He turned it around. ‘This is the fearsome Faceless Mage.’

‘I’ve never seen that card before,’ Yami said. ‘But my Dark Magician is one of the strongest magic cards in the game.’

‘But how will he fare once I combine my Faceless Mage with the equally rare Eye of Illusion?’ Pegasus asked as the two cards came together and the Faceless Mage came out of them.

‘Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!’ Yami called to his monster.

The Dark Magician attacked. The Faceless Mage raised its hands and the Eye of Illusion shot forward. The two blasts combined brightly. Yami had to cover his eyes and the boy took cover behind his back. Even Shamee seemed to need to cover her eyes.

Yami looked up when the attacks cleared. _My attacks had no effect at all._

Suddenly the boy trotted out from behind Yami, ran around Shamee’s legs and forward. He stopped and turned, looking at the Dark Magician. The boy’s eyes widened and he pointed at the monster. Something did happen. Yami nodded his head and Shamee moved over to stand behind the boy and see what he wanted to show them.

‘Aw, man!’ Shamee groaned. ‘His Eye of Illusion is on the front of your Dark Magician.’

Pegasus frowned. ‘Sure, go and ruin the surprise, why don’t you?’

The Dark Magician turned and Yami saw they were right. That meant Pegasus had control of another one of his monsters. Knowing what was coming next, Yami raised his arm against the attack that came out and took a chunk out of his life points.

The boy suddenly turned around and yelled into the darkness. ‘Mother!’

Mother? He was calling for his mother. She’d been brought here too. Shamee looked just as surprised as he felt. A moment later a woman ran out of the shadows. She was…oddly familiar. Her eyes, one of the prettiest shades of jade that Yami had ever seen, took in everything. Regardless of how pretty she was, she was clearly where the boy had gotten his unruly dark hair.

‘It’s been five thousand years already?’ she asked. She looked at Pegasus, an expression of mocking on her face. ‘Do you understand what you’re starting?’

Pegasus smiled pleasantly. ‘Please, my dear, you obviously didn’t. You’re a prisoner of the Shadow Realm as well. You can’t do very much.’

‘No.’ The woman chuckled. ‘Maybe not, but watch what I can do.’

The woman walked over to Yami. Feeling a complete ease at her approach, he didn’t flinch away when she knelt down next to him. She raised the forefingers of her right hand and touched the tips to the centre of his forehead. A light glow appeared where she touched and Yami’s eyes fell shut.

The woman had resurfaced some important pieces of information in his mind. More specifically, she had brought forward the details on the Millennium Items. When he opened his eyes, he knew all there was to know about all of the items.

Yami smiled at her and drew a new card, putting all his faith in it. When it went down, the Summoned Skull rose from the image. The boy cheered and clapped. Yami called for the beast to attack his own Dark Magician, which was no longer his. A puzzling note on that was as the electricity went, the woman pressed her face to his upper arm.

There was a startling need to comfort her.

But that was when the timer hit zero. Both monsters vanished and the woman lifted her head, expression startled. The boy looked around and then up at Shamee questioningly. She shrugged.

‘Ran out of time.’

‘Indeed.’ Pegasus closed his eyes for a moment but looked cheerful. ‘But how close was that? If you had been able to complete that attack, I would have lost.’ He was right. His life points were at 1200, while Yami’s were at 400. ‘But I didn’t, did I? I have taken the measure of your talents this day, Yugi Moto, and when next we duel, we shall play for far higher stakes.’

‘I’m done with your games,’ Yami said.

Pegasus shook his finger and clicked his tongue. ‘You presume I’m giving you a choice in the matter but…’ He moved his hair aside to reveal his Millennium Eye again. ‘…I’m not. For I too possess one of the seven Millennium Items…’

Yami gasped and drew back as he realised what was about to happen. From the way Shamee had the same reaction, she knew too.

‘…the all-powerful Millennium Eye!’

‘You’re going to…?’ Yami glanced back at the four frozen people behind him.

‘That’s right, Yugi-boy!’ Pegasus announced, causing him to spin back around. ‘And now I’ll show you the true extent of its magic.’

A light shot out of it, over his and the woman’s heads, and enveloped Yugi’s grandfather. The elderly man’s soul lifted out of his body and was pulled away.

‘You see I have found that, given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game,’ Pegasus said.

The man’s face appeared on the television screen. Yami was about to exercise an old power to restore it but the one who owned this body was an emotional teenaged boy. The only warning was from Shamee.

‘Vessel!’

The woman jumped up as Yugi snatched back control of his body and Yami was thrown back into his chamber of the mind. Despite that, he still heard Pegasus finishing that sentence right before he returned the rest of them, barring the woman and the little boy, to their own world.

‘Yes, we will duel again, Yugi. How else will you ever reclaim your grandfather’s soul?’ His laugh seemed to echo around in Yami’s head.


	3. Journey to the Duellist Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea take the boat to Duellist Kingdom.
> 
> Sharee takes a slightly different mode of transport.

Yugi stood on top of the school roof, staring out on the horizon. _How did I get into this mess? I can’t believe that grandpa’s actually gone. One minute he’s right beside us, and the next Pegasus shows up uses some kind of weird magic to steal his soul away. But why? What could Pegasus possibly want with me? And could it have something to do with my Millennium Puzzle?_ Yugi almost swore he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Even if it was just in his head, it made him feel better. _Well, I’ll get grandpa back. I’ll beat Pegasus at his own game…whatever that is._

***

Joey looked at the tape in front of him. ‘Wonder who this is from.’ He put it in his VCR and played it.

A familiar and loved face appeared in front of him. ‘Hey, there, big brother, how’ve you been? I really miss you.’

Joey was surprised. ‘Serenity?’

Serenity smiled and chuckled. ‘I can’t believe it’s been six years since we’ve seen each other. I’ll never forget the day mom took me to live with her.’

No, neither would Joey…running after a car. He loved his sister and there hadn’t been any warning. Their mother had just picked her up and left with her. Serenity spoke again, pulling Joey back to the present.

‘I’m sending this video just so you don’t forget your little sister’s face. It seems like I’m running out of time. I was hoping to see you once more before…’ Tears were visible in her eyes. ‘Oh, well, you understand. Bye-bye, brother.’

‘Run outta time?’ Joey felt tears burning behind his own eyes. ‘It can’t be!’

‘So long. Take care, Joey.’ The video ended.

Joey jammed his eyes shut. ‘Serenity…’

***

Sharee walked in her front door and immediately headed into the kitchen to get something to eat. She stopped short, though, when she saw her father waiting for her. He was looking down at an envelope with a troubled expression.

‘I thought you didn’t do tournaments,’ he said.

‘I don’t.’ Sharee’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why?’

Immediately, she was handed the envelope. It was addressed to her personally from Industrial Illusions. Ah. Her father thought she’d gotten their attention. Sharee scowled and slipped open the envelope. It was an invitation to the Duellist Kingdom Tournament.

Sharee looked up at her father. ‘Maximillion Pegasus has one of the Millennium Items. You know how Yugi’s grandpa’s in a coma?’

Sharee’s father groaned. ‘Please don’t tell me it’s because Pegasus took his soul.’

‘Okay.’ Sharee walked over to the fridge.

***

Yugi looked over the five cards he’s been sent.

‘A tournament at Duellist Kingdom?’ Téa asked when he told his friends. ‘Isn’t that an island?’

‘Straight in that direction.’ Sharee pointed.

‘So that’s where Pegasus is keeping your grandpa?’ Joey surmised.

‘Maybe,’ Yugi said. ‘The only way to know for sure is to become a contestant. The boat’s going to be leaving in two days.’

‘But you can’t go!’ Téa insisted. ‘It could be dangerous.’

‘Yeah, that’s always a possibility,’ Sharee said.

‘I have to go,’ Yugi said. ‘It’s the only clue I have for rescuing grandpa.’

‘I still can’t believe it,’ Tristan said. ‘Pegasus used some kind of weird spell to drag your grandpa’s soul away and now he’s toying with you, forcing you to duel in the tournament.’

‘Right,’ Joey agreed. ‘And, without invitations, we can’t even go these with you. I wish we could help you, pal.’

Téa was silent for a moment. ‘This is bad.’

Sharee said nothing. She stood there with her arms folded and her eyes closed. Yugi looked at her. She was clearly thinking about something. Had to be something big from that look on her face. One thing Yugi had learned about Sharee in the few weeks they’d been friends, she rarely took anything seriously. What she didn’t grin or joke about was actually serious.

‘Huh? Yugi!’ Tristan picked up two cards. ‘Check this out. According to this card, the tournament winner takes the grand prize of three million dollars.’

Sharee didn’t move. Had she heard this before?

‘Three mil?’ Joey asked.

‘So what, Tristan?’ Yugi asked. ‘Who cares about money at a time like this?’

When Joey snatched the card and startled them all, he had his answer, but that was also the moment that Sharee moved. She looked up at him in confusion and then understanding crossed her face.

Yugi made a mental note. Hours later, when he went looking for him Sharee went with him. As he thought, Joey was sitting on the roof. He was just staring out into the horizon.

‘Joey?’ Yugi called. ‘What are you doing up here?’

Joey turned his head and looked at them. ‘Hm?’

‘What’s with you?’ Yugi asked.

‘Ah, nothing,’ Joey said. ‘I’m just thinking about a whole lotta stuff.’ He paused. ‘Yugi, you do know that I care about your gramps, right? I mean, he taught me about the Heart of the Cards.’

Yugi faced him. ‘Of course I know.’

‘I mean it!’ Joey insisted. ‘One way or another, I’ll help you beat Pegasus.’

Yugi smiled and came over, sitting next to him. ‘That really means a lot to me, Joey. I’m glad we’re friends.’

‘Remember the first time we met?’ Joey asked.

Yugi looked down at what hung around his neck. ‘I’ll never forget it. It was all because of the Millennium Puzzle. The way grandpa explained it to me it was originally found in some Egyptian ruins. My grandpa gave it to me and sort of dared me to solve it. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen in my life. As soon as I touched it, I knew it was special. I made a wish on the Puzzle. I asked it to give me a real friend and I think the Puzzle came through for me. That was when I met up with you and Tristan. Although, you sure didn’t act like my friends at first.’

‘Ah!’ Joey chuckled. ‘You mean when we were playing keep-away with the Millennium Puzzle? It was for you, man. We just wanted to toughen you up so you could stand up to the real bullies. We were only teasing you.’

Yugi looked at him incredulously. ‘Teasing? You took piece of the Millennium Puzzle and threw it out the window! And I was the one who tried to help you guys out when that bully picked on you!’ Yeah. Yugi certainly remembered that guy. Not a pleasant experience. He tried to employ himself as Yugi’s bodyguard and then force him to pay for the beatings the bully handed out to Joey and Tristan.

Joey frowned. ‘He was a mean one, all right.’ He looked at him. ‘You stood up for us, Yug. I’ll never forget that. Because of you, we got that moron expelled. And Tristan and I learned what it was like to have a true friend.’

‘Well, at least you retrieved the lost Puzzle piece,’ Yugi said. ‘If you hadn’t done that, I could never have solved the Millennium Puzzle.’

‘The truth of the matter is, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had,’ Joey said.

‘Yeah.’ Yugi smiled but only for a moment. ‘It’s too bad you can’t go with me to rescue grandpa.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Joey told him. ‘Somehow, someway, I promise we’ll do it together.’

Yugi looked at him. ‘Together?’

‘You bet.’ Joey agreed. ‘We’re a team, Yugi.’

‘But how can you go without an invitation?’ Yugi asked.

‘I got an idea.’ Sharee spoke up for the first time. Since they came onto the roof. She walked over to the boys. ‘First off, Joey, who needs an operation?’

‘What?’ Joey asked the question as he and Yugi looked up in confusion.

‘You got all excited about the money,’ Sharee said. ‘You aren’t money-hungry though. So someone you care about needs an operation that you just can’t afford. Who?’

Joey looked shocked and then he dropped his head. ‘My sister…Serenity. She’s had this condition her whole life. Now…looks like time’s up. She’s gonna go blind unless she gets that operation. We don’t have that kind of money.’

Yugi looked at him in concern. ‘Then you can enter the Tournament.’

‘Yeah, you can.’ Sharee pulled an envelope out of her pocket. ‘I got invited too. I’ll give you the glove and star chips tomorrow. Tristan and Téa will probably have to stow away though.’

‘What about you?’ Yugi asked.

‘I meant what I said,’ Sharee said. ‘I don’t do tournaments. There’s no way Pegasus invited me because of my duelling skill. He wants my Millennium Bandanna so, logically, he’ll let me come to Duellist Kingdom any way I please. I already have a mode of transport ready.’

***

Sharee mused, as she sat in the plush seat and watched clouds roll by the window like white cotton candy, that this probably wasn’t what her friends were thinking when she said she had another way there. But generations of archaeology and talent in the aforementioned industry had lined their pockets deep.

Sharee probably could have a “who’s got the bigger inheritance” contest with Kaiba if she knew the exact figure he was pulling in. She was descended from wealthy Victorians – quite literally – and with their profession, the money just grew.

Sharee half-wanted to just hand the necessary money over to Joey instead of just the necessary objects for entry into the Duellist Kingdom Tournament, but there was a snag with that plan. The family had self-imposed limitations on how much money they used per month and that was above it. Too bad. This was more trouble than it was worth, really.  
The jet phone rang and Sharee picked it up. ‘Hello? Oh, good. What’d you find? Research? So he knows all about me? My background and everything? Well, that’s going to throw jam in the works, isn’t it? What about the Millennium Items? How much more does he know about them?’

Sharee sat there, listening to the response.

‘How convenient for us. Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I’ll keep you posted. I will. Bye-bye.’

Sharee hung up and stood up. She started pacing around the cabin. She’d dressed for the trip. A little homework on Duellist Kingdom and she was wearing a yellow tank top under her jacket, to go with her Millennium Bandanna, denim short-shorts and a pair of boots that only went to the bottom of her calves. She also had a heavier jacket in case it got too cold.

_**How interesting.** _

Sharee exhaled heavily at the sound of Shamee’s voice in her head. She was referring to the telephone conversation. In her mind’s eye, Sharee saw the five thousand year old spirit sitting next to her. _Isn’t it just?_

Shamee was sipping from a goblet. Sharee didn’t think there was really anything there. It was probably just a nostalgic action from Shamee’s mortal days. The spirit chuckled and nodded.

Sharee smiled. _So what do you make of it?_

Shamee leaned her head back. _**What I make of it is that Pegasus is extremely sure of himself, but…she was right. He doesn’t know what exactly he’s challenging.**_

Sharee looked at her for a moment. _So who were they? The woman…and the kid?_

_**I don’t know.**_ Shamee’s brown furrowed. _**But I feel like I should know them. There was definitely something familiar about the woman…and the kid…**_

_You felt protective._ Sharee stated her observation. _I noticed. When the boy stepped away from Yami, you were ready for anything. And when he called your attention, even though Yami couldn’t move from his spot, you went right over there._

_**I do feel…some kind of affection for him. I can’t place it, though. But I’m sure I’ve never seen him before.** _

Sharee cocked her head. _But you can’t say for sure._

_**Of course not.**_ Shamee rolled her eyes. _**My memories are buried, remember? If I knew why, it probably wouldn’t be so bad. But that kid…I must know who he is, but I sure as the sun don’t recognise him. Not like I do his mother.**_

Sharee nodded in understanding. _What about the Bandanna? I thought I got everything on that. But that comment in there just threw me off._

Shamee chuckled. _**Oh, that? Well, you see, originally, there was no Millennium Bandanna. It was given shadow power nearly twenty years after the other seven items were forged and only because its owner – me – refused to leave Yami to this fight on his own. There was an undercurrent of something else in her mind.**_

_And?_ Sharee looked at her expectantly.

_**Never did learn not to underestimate you, did I?**_ Shamee laughed. _**The Millennium Puzzle is the most powerful of the Items. The thing is it hasn’t been used in…5000 years, roughly speaking. Towards that end, its capabilities are…what’s the word you modern-day people use? Rusty!**_


	4. Into the Hornet's Nest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi takes on Weevil Underwood.

Sharee stepped off the plane and looked at the men in suits. One with an almost a sharp point on top of his head stood at the foot of the ramp, blocking her way. Sharee smirked and started walking down the ramp regardless.

‘I just figured if I was going to walk into a trap, I should do it of my own free will,’ she said.

‘What?’ The suit drew back.

Sharee brushed past him. ‘I don’t do tournaments so I gave my access cards to someone who needed them more. Tell your boss that Sharee Pertinicle is on the island and she’ll come into the castle when Yugi Moto does.’

Sharee stopped at the bottom and turned around. ‘All right, boys! Take it away!’ She turned and walked to the pier uninterrupted. She knew that Pegasus would allow her on the island.

***

Yugi and Joey were the first off the boat to meet Sharee. She laughed at Tristan’s lack of calm when passing the guards. When all five of them stood there, Tristan was panting for breath.

‘I think I just had a heart attack.’

‘Way to play it cool, Tristan.’ Téa grinned in amusement. ‘That wasn’t suspicious at all.’

Joey pumped his fists. ‘All right! Every single one of us made it here, safe and – atchoo!’ He sneezed. Sharee’s eyebrows went up.

Yugi frowned. ‘You would never have caught that cold if it wasn’t for Weevil.’

‘That Regional Champion worm?’ Sharee asked. ‘What’d he do?’

‘He threw Yugi’s Exodia cards into the ocean,’ Téa said.

Joey rubbed under his nose. ‘Speaking of our wormy friend, looks like he has already slithered his way off the boat and is already looking to start some trouble.’

They all looked over. Weevil was smirking at them from where he stood.

‘I knew I thought he looked like a creep,’ Sharee said.

Joey nodded. ‘That slime ball. I’ve love to wipe that smirk off his face.’

 _I would too but we don’t have time for Weevil right now._ Yugi bit his tongue to keep from saying what he really thought.

‘Welcome all Duellists.’ One of the guards spoke up. ‘Please, follow the stairs to meet your host.’ He indicted a long flight of stairs that led up to an old castle.

‘Must’ve been imported from somewhere,’ Sharee mused.

Yugi nodded once. ‘That castle’s gotta belong to Pegasus.’

‘Then what are we waiting for?’ Joey started leading them up the stairs.

They were about half way up the stairway when Téa stopped them. Apparently she’d seen Bakura again. Yugi noticed Sharee’s brow was furrowed as she listened to the conversation. He wanted to know what was on her mind but he got the feeling she’d shake her head and say it was nothing.

When they reached the top, they stood around with everyone else. Near them, they could hear two kids talking about those in attendance.

‘Wow, look. That’s Weevil Underwood. He’s the Regional Champion.’

‘And that’s the runner-up, Rex Raptor.’

‘And there’s Mako Tsunami. He was ranked third. Wow, these are all the best duellists in the world, but where’s the World Champion, Kaiba?’

‘Didn’t you hear? Some kid beat him. On his own turf too.’

Yugi blushed at how quick all of this had gotten around. Sharee chuckled and Joey nudged him with his elbow.

‘Are you serious? I thought Kaiba was the best.’

‘He was. But not anymore. Yugi’s supposed to be the kid to beat now.’

‘Attention.’ The guard from before was standing up on the balcony. This time he sounded like he had a microphone. ‘Gather around. Your benevolent host is anxious to greet you all.’

Yugi stared up at the balcony. “Benevolent” wasn’t the word he’d use. Pegasus appeared on the balcony. Beside him, Joey’s hands tightened into fists.

‘Boy, would I like to get just five minutes alone with that guy,’ he said.

Yugi’s mind flashed back to the day this man took his grandfather’s soul. _I’m not leaving this island until I save my grandpa, no matter what Pegasus has planned for me._

Pegasus raised his arms. ‘Greetings, Duellists! I am Maximillion Pegasus. It is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you all to the Duellist Kingdom. You stand before me the world’s greatest duellists. But come tournament’s end, only one of you shall be named King of Games. I implore you all to assemble your duelling decks with care, with creativity and with cunning. For this competition will test your skills like never before.’ He held up two items. ‘To track your progress in the tournament, you’ve each been given a duelling glove. You’ve also been given two precious star chips. You must wager these star chips in each duel you compete in.’

Many of the duellists, including Yugi and Joey, slid their duelling gloves on as Pegasus was saying this.

‘To advance to the final level of competition for a chance at the three million dollar prize, you must win ten star chips. Ten star chips will admit you into my castle where you’ll face me in one final duel.’

_If grandpa’s here, I’d bet my duelling glove he’s hidden away in that castle. Yugi looked around. But I’ll never be able to get in there with all the guards around. We’re just going to have to win enough star chips to get inside._

Pegasus continued. ‘This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced. State-of-the-art duelling arenas cover this entire island and intriguing new duelling rules will be in effect. I could tell you what these new rules are, but what fun would that be? You’ll discover them as you compete or you won’t last very long. Remember: play boldly, think strategically and duel mercilessly. You have one full hour to prepare. Both your cards and yourselves. When the skies light up with fireworks, the duels will begin.’

The duellists around them cheered and applauded. Yugi stared up as Pegasus disappeared from the balcony. _I gotta win my way into that castle. I just gotta._

Sharee stared leading them down the stairway. As they went, Yugi looked around the island. As he did, he swore he heard a strong…ancient and powerful voice in his head. _**Now, isn’t that interesting?**_ They soon came down into the forest land.

‘Sharee?’ Sharee stopped as Joey spoke to her. ‘I don’t know if I can win this thing. Maybe you should take your duelling glove and everything back.’

‘Don’t say that, Joey. Don’t even think it.’ Sharee shook her head. ‘You keep it. Your sister’s counting on you to win that prize money for her.’ She grinned. ‘Besides, I told you: I don’t do tournaments.’

‘Thanks, pal,’ Joey said.

‘You can do it,’ Téa told him. ‘You’ve just gotta steer clear of the more experienced duellists at first.’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan said. ‘It’s just a matter of working your way up!’

‘Thanks, you guys.’ Joey turned to Yugi. ‘Well, Yugi, between your grandpa and my sister, we don’t have any room for mistakes.’

‘Right.’ Yugi nodded.

A serious of loud bangs from above got their attention and they all looked up.

‘The fireworks!’ Téa cried. ‘It’s starting!’

‘Let’s do it!’ Yugi started leading them through the forest. Actually…when he thought about it, it seemed more like Sharee was leading them. Even though she was walking beside him, Yugi had a feeling she was deciding their direction.

‘So what’s your plan, Yugi?’ Joey asked.

‘Well, I might as well stick with Weevil,’ Yugi said. ‘After all, we do have a score to settle.’

‘All right!’ Joey said. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’

‘Eh, isn’t that him?’ Téa pointed.

Sure enough, Weevil was standing at the end of the forest.

Yugi called out. ‘Weevil, I challenge you to a duel!’

Immediately, Weevil cackled, turned on his heel and ran. Sharee gritted her teeth.

‘I can’t believe this!’ Joey exclaimed. ‘Weevil’s running away!’

Yugi gave the chase with Sharee hot on his heels. He noticed that Joey, Tristan and Téa took an extra second to follow. Actually, if he thought about it, the American seemed to be keeping pace with him, staying the same distance behind him.

‘Hey, wait up!’ Joey called.

Bug swarmed over them. Yugi and Sharee just ignored them.

‘Ugh! Where are all these moths coming from?’ Tristan demanded.

Téa evidentially didn’t care. ‘They’re disgusting!’

Tristan then made a comment. ‘He’s fast for a small guy!’

‘Maybe you’re just slow for a big guy!’ Téa shot back.

‘We’re never gonna catch him!’ Joey called. ‘As long as the island’s in bounds, he’ll keep running all day!’

 _What’s Weevil up to?_ Yugi wondered. _He’s wanted to duel with me since we met on the boat. So what’s he running for? Wait a minute…_ ‘What’d he say on the boat?’ Yes, he remembered: everyone will soon learn that there are new rules on the island that require more strategy. _It must have something to do with the new rules. So I better figure out what…and fast!_

They all stopped as they came to a clearing. Weevil had stopped running. He was standing there, smirking at them. ‘Welcome, said the spider to the fly.’ He laughed. ‘You flew right into my trap – again!’

Yugi’s eyes narrowed. ‘It’s time you answered for what you did on the boat, Weevil!’ He allowed that feeling to come over him again.

***

Yami scoffed. ‘All right, Weevil. Time to find out if you’re as good at duelling as you are at running away.’

‘Was I simply running away or cleverly weaving you into my web?’ Weevil asked.

‘It’s time to duel,’ Yami said.

Weevil laughed. ‘As you wish!’ At that instant the ground began shaking violently. He heard the three modern-day humans behind him cry out in surprise but he and Shamee slid their feet apart to take more balanced positions.

‘It’s an earthquake!’ cried Tristan.

‘No.’ That was definitely Shamee in control. ‘Artificial earth technology. They hide things in the ground, cover it with fake earth and then rise it up. Look!’ As soon as she finished talking, the earth opened up, revealing it was really metal panels.

‘Whoa!’ Tristan exclaimed. ‘The entire ground is transforming!’

Yami watched as a stadium rose up out of the ground behind Weevil.

‘It’s gigantic!’ Téa cried as the stadium finished taking form.

‘Man!’ Joey forced a laugh. ‘These aren’t going to me like the duels back home.’

‘You’ve just stepped into a hornet’s nest,’ Weevil said, ‘and there’s no way out!’

‘What is that?’ Yami had never seen anything like it.

‘These giant arenas must be set up all over the island!’ Joey drew the necessary conclusions. As silly as he sometimes acted, he did have the ability to do that.

Weevil smirked. ‘I’ll just meet you on the field.’ He ran over and hopped onto one of the platforms. Yami walked over to the other one. It rose them both up to the top of the duelling stand.

‘I don’t like this,’ Joey said. ‘Weevil’s a little too cocky.’

***

Shamee watched as the two of them wagered their two star chips. Whoever lost this duel would be the first to be eliminated. Shamee barely even acknowledged it when other kids started showing up to watch.

‘Whoa! Sounds like a duel is about to start over there!’

‘That’s Weevil Underwood, but who’s the other guy?’

Shamee considered that an odd question, but quickly realised it wasn’t. Yugi had never been seen in anything. Only heard of. She turned now. ‘That’s Yugi Moto. He’s the one that beat Kaiba.’

The kids all stared as they came closer. One of them said, ‘I thought I wouldn’t be seeing a Weevil-Yugi match up til the finals.’

‘Weevil’s the Regional Champ. No new kid’s got a chance against him.’

Shamee turned back around and refocused on the duel.

***  
‘Well, Yugi, my adoring public is waiting, so we should begin…’

‘Duel!’ They both said.

Their life points flew up to two thousand and they each drew five cards. Yami looked at the newly-materialised field. Now, that was really interesting. It all came together in his mind.

Weevil made the first move. ‘Let’s see how you like my Killer Needle.’

The monster took form.

‘You’ll have to get through my Mammoth Graveyard first.’ Yami laid his own card down and watch his own monster materialise. ‘This massive monster will match your annoying insect point for point.’ And that was true. They were both of the same attack strength. ‘Attack!’

Weevil’s smirk widened. ‘Killer Needle, let’s show the Mammoth your stinger.’

The two monsters collided. Then something confusing happened. The Mammoth was destroyed, but the Killer Needle stayed where it was.

‘No!’ Yami yelled.

‘Ha! Gone after one sting?’ Weevil gloated. ‘He must be allergic!’

Yugi’s thought came to his mind, echoing his own confusion. _I don’t get it! Both creatures were evenly matched. It should’ve been a stalemate._

‘Have you begun to figure out yet why I led you all the way to this forest area?’ Weevil asked. ‘If you would just look around then you would see that this area is an exact replica of our surrounding environment. One part wasteland and one part forest and who thrives in the forest? Bugs! The strongest, most powerful insects rule the forest! So as long as I play my bugs in the forest area, I get a field power bonus. I guess you just weren’t listening when Pegasus said that this tournament would have exciting new surprises in store for us. Maybe if you were smart enough to steal the tournaments secret new rules like I did, you’d be getting a field power bonus instead of me!’ He crowed the last word and then began laughing.

Yami just let him have his gloat and watched the Killer Needle.

‘He cheated,’ Joey said from the sidelines. ‘He led us here because he knew he’d have an unfair advantage.’

‘Go ahead,’ Weevil said. ‘Call me a cheater. You’re all just angry that you didn’t swipe the rules yourselves and because you didn’t, little Yugi is about to be stung!’

Ah, there we go! Yami started laughing.

‘What?’ Weevil demanded. ‘How could you be laughing?’

‘Because, take a look at your ferocious Killer Needle now.’

‘What?” Weevil watched as it was destroyed the same way the Mammoth had been. ‘Oh, no, my monster! What have you done with my monster?’ He looked down at the duelling board and Yami listened to him summarise. ‘This makes no sense! My creature was super-charged with a field power bonus but, according to this, Yugi’s creature somehow became just as powerful.’

Yami pointed. ‘Looks like my Mammoth got a field power bonus from the wasteland area just like your bugs do from the forest.’

Weevil ground his teeth. ‘The field point advantage was supposed to be mine alone!’

‘I kept wondering about something on the boat ride here, Weevil,’ Yami said. ‘Why were we travelling to some remote island just to duel?’ He looked down. ‘But as soon as I saw this holographic display grid, it all came together. Every monster has a type of field that it does best on, kind of like a home field advantage. And what makes this island so special is that it contains every type of field imaginable. So when you deliberately led us to this spot, you were clearly hoping to get some kind of field advantage.’

Weevil growled and then started laughing. He straightened up. ‘You’re awfully clever to put it all together like that, Yugi, but figuring out one rule won’t be enough. There are surprises hidden under every rock and I know them all.’

‘You can beat him, Yugi!’ Téa called.

‘Don’t let that flea scare you!’ Joey called. ‘He’s bluffing!’

‘Really?’ Weevil held up another card. ‘Then let’s just see how you handle this “bluff”.’ He laid down the card and the monster took shape. Its attack points went up. ‘My Hercules Beetle will find a way to crawl under your skin.

In his mind, Yami heard Yugi sigh. _Even though I know about the field power bonus, it’s too late to rebuild my deck now. I guess a combo attack would be my best bet._ Not a bad idea. Yami took two cards from his hand and laid one down. ‘I play Feral Imp.’ The monster took form. ‘And now I’ll add this Horn of the Unicorn, which magic will raise my attack points.’ Something was niggling at the back of his mind.

Weevil sniggered. ‘You’ll have to do a lot better than that! Hercules Beetle attack!’ The Beetle stood back on its hind legs.

‘Feral Imp, Magic Lightning Attack!’ Yami called for his own monster, but his attack bounced right off the Beetle and the Imp was destroyed.

Téa stated the obvious. ‘Yugi’s attack didn’t even faze that thing!’

‘Something’s screwy!’ Joey insisted.

‘My Imp’s magic attack should have destroyed your Beetle,’ Yami said. ‘Is this another trick, Weevil?’

‘No, Yugi,’ Weevil said. ‘I just thought you knew that all monsters with a field power bonus are also resistant to any type of magic attack. And since my Hercules Beetle easily deflected your lightning bolt, he has more than enough power left to destroy your puny Feral Imp and continue to eat away at your life points.’

Ah, rat rot. Yami’s life points dropped down to 1350.

‘Even that four-eyed tick’s weakest bugs are going to be tough to beat so long as he’s got that field power bonus,’ Joey remarked.

Shamee remained silent. She usually was during duels unless she needed to explain something.

‘Yeah, but it’s not exactly like it could just be turned off,’ Tristan stated.

‘That Weevil’s a no-good cheat!’ Téa insisted.

‘It’s your turn,’ Weevil said. ‘Make your move.’

 _Maybe I should use my next monster to defend._ Not much else they could do. Yami did just that. _By putting my monster in defence mode, my monster will take a hit but my life points will be spared._

‘So, we’re defending now, are we?’ Weevil asked. ‘Very clever! Since I can’t see your monster’s defence points, I can’t be sure I can defeat it but even your strongest monster can’t stand against my Basic Insect.’ The creature appeared on the field. ‘Not only does he get a field power bonus but I’m upgrading him with a level three laser cannon and a level two power boost.’

_No! His insect’s so powerful now my defence won’t stand a chance! And after it falls, my life points are next._

Weevil smirked even wider. ‘Now, Yugi, for all the innocent little bugs you’ve squashed, stomped, crushed or fumigated, it’s…payback time!’

The Basic Insect attacked. Even though these were only supposed to be holograms, Yami knew every duel Pegasus organised…a part of it came from the real monsters of the Shadow Realm. He braced himself and the blast not only destroyed his defence but also sent a hot gust of wind over him. Once he heard the monster scream and then the attack faded, he straightened up.

Weevil chuckled. ‘You’ve have to do better than that if you hope to survive my bug’s laser-powered arsenal.’

‘Then I’ll play this card.’ Yami laid the card face-down.

‘I’m going to keep you on the defensive. Attack now, with any monster, and you will instantly activate this trap card.’ Weevil held up the card in question and then laid it down.

‘That Weevil’s got Yugi cornered,’ Tristan said.

‘Yeah!’ Joey leaned forward. ‘He can’t even counter-attack!’

Weevil just continued his grandstanding. ‘As long as my trap card remains in play, you’re powerless to make a move against me! So…does my tightening web make you squirm?’  
They both happened upon the idea at the same time. _He’s so busy bragging, he’s not paying any attention to my moves. Maybe I can set a little trap of my own._ And he had the perfect one. Yami laid the card down.

‘Face it, Yugi,’ Weevil said. ‘I’ve got you pinned down and, while you’re totally unable to attack me, I can attack you anytime I want. Each turn you cower, I create a new monster.’ And that was what he thought he was doing. He was just filling up his side of the field with them.

‘Keeping drawing, Yugi. My army of insects just keeps getting bigger. I’m going to wipe out all your monsters in one big bug blitz.’

_That’s right, Weevil, put all your monsters on the field. That’s exactly what I’m counting on._

***

Down on the sidelines, Shamee listened to their friends.

‘Just look at our Yugi,’ Téa said. ‘He looks so confident up there.’

‘I know. When he’s duelling, it’s like he becomes a totally different guy.’

That comment from Joey nearly made Shamee lose her countenance. Her head snapped to the side and she looked at him. Then she turned her eyes back up to Yami and wondered, _**Is it that obvious?**_

In her head, Sharee laughed. _A little bit, yes. Fortunately, these are very sceptical times and the idea is often written off as an overactive imagination._ She paused. _Or they tell me I have split personality disorder._

***

Weevil sniggered. ‘Well, what do you know? I’m down to my last monstrous insect and you know what that means, Yugi. You’re about to be exterminated!’

‘We’ll see what my cards have to say about that,’ Yami said. He drew another card. Yes! The Dark Magician! This is perfect! There’s no way Weevil can resist him as a target. He looked up. ‘All right, Weevil. I defend with the Dark Magician.’ He laid the card down.

‘Excellent!’ Weevil crowed. ‘I’ll destroy your very favourite card first. Now, my pet, power up your Laser Cannon.’ He sniggered as the Basic Insect did as instructed. ‘Attack!’

Yami chuckled.

Weevil drew back. ‘Wha…? Why are you laughing?’

Yami raised his hand. ‘Weevil, you’re not the only one who can set a trap card.’

‘What?’ he demanded.

‘You were so busy grandstanding, you paid no attention to the cards I put into play.’

‘But I thought they were all monster c…cards!’

‘Not all. While you loaded the field with your bug monsters, I prepared a special surprise.’ He held up the trap card in question. ‘The power of my Mirror Force trap card.’

‘Hold your fire!’ Weevil screamed as the Insect launched the attack.

‘It’s too late, Weevil,’ Yami said as his Dark Magician appeared. ‘You already ordered your attack on my Dark Magician and Mirror Force will deflect it right back at you!’

Weevil stepped back and whimpered. ‘My life points are devastated!’ They dropped down to 555.

‘Yes!’ Yami smirked. Below him, his friend’s cheered.

Weevil glared at him as if he’d committed some kind of social atrocity.

‘You’re a liar and a cheat, Weevil,’ Yami said. ‘But it was your overconfidence that allowed me to get the best of you. Your insects are decimated, your life points are low and, as you yourself said before, you have used up all your monsters.’

Weevil laughed. ‘Actually, I lied about that too. I still have my most formidable creature waiting in the wings. This unconquerable insect will swat you down once and for all!’


	5. The Ultimate Great Moth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weevil's strategy comes to fruition.

A supreme bug? Shamee didn’t like the sound of that.

‘Great play, Yug!’ Joey called.

‘You wiped out Weevil’s army in one move!’ Tristan cheered.

‘All right! You’ve got him on the ropes!’ Téa’s cheer got a negative response.

‘Yeah, right!’

Joey, Tristan and Téa twisted around. Shamee only turned her head. There was a blonde woman standing there with her arms folded and a cocky smirk on her face. She’d probably been standing in that spot the whole time.

‘Mai?’ Tristan and Joey immediately identified her.

Shamee, out of habit more than anything else, extended her extra sense. And she felt pity.

Mai didn’t seem to think she needed pity though. ‘You losers don’t seem to realise who your little pal is up against. Weevil’s Regional Champion. He’s got moves your shrimp couldn’t even dream up.’

Shamee noticed anger go across Téa’s face. From Sharee’s memories, she knew Téa’s temper and that girl was loyal to the end. She was about to snap at Mai too. Shamee just turned back to the duel but spoke before Téa could.

‘And how do you know that? Have you ever seen Yugi duel? I bet all you know about him is he’s as innocent as they come and he beat Kaiba.’

‘He only beat Kaiba because he had Exodia,’ Mai argued.

Shamee didn’t bother raising her voice. ‘He only needed Exodia because Kaiba has three Blue Eyes White Dragons. I don’t see any of those in Weevil’s deck.’

Shamee didn’t even have to turn around to know Mai had no answer to that. But she did seem to shake it off and step forward. As she expected, the blonde duellist pretended she’d never spoken.

‘Weevil will turn the match around.’

Shamee wasn’t even going to dignify that with a response.

***

Some kind of supreme bug in his deck. Yami didn’t know what Weevil had up his sleeve but, if the duel thus far had been any indication, it wasn’t going to be something he could just bowl over.

‘You may have flattened my army of bugs, Yugi,’ Weevil said. ‘But you haven’t won. I still have plenty up my sleeve.’

Yami smirked. ‘You’ve done an awful lot of buzzing throughout this whole duel, Weevil, but I’m still here waiting for the sting.’

‘Since you’re new to this whole duelling tournament thing, I’ll try to make this simple for you,’ Weevil said. ‘I’m gonna wipe that goofy grin from your face. Now, let’s see which lucky bug gets to take the first bite.’ He took a card out of his hand. ‘Oh, this little bug won’t stand a chance against all your ferocious monsters. Oh, well, I’ll play him in defence mode.’

‘Ah,’ Yami said. ‘That would have been a nice bluff, but I still haven’t forgotten about the trap card you played.’ _He didn’t trap me then and he’s not gonna trap me now. Weevil’s trap card will activate as soon as I call an attack and it’ll destroy all of the monsters I have on the field, but what if I get my monsters off the field first and then destroy Weevil’s trap! Oh, that’s it!_ ‘I’ll spring your trap, Weevil!’ He pulled a card from his hand. ‘But first, the Monster Recovery card. It allows me to call back all the creatures I have on the field. Monsters, return to your cards!’ The two monsters vanished. ‘Now your trap has nothing to snare. And once my cards are all safely back in my deck, the Recovery card also lets me draw a new hand.’ Yami took the cards, reshuffled and then drew five more cards. ‘Now all I have to do is sacrifice one of my weaker monsters and your trap is sprung.’ He laid the card down. ‘Kuriboh! Attack!’

A little hairball monster appeared on the field.

Weevil growled. ‘No!’ His trap card appeared, looking like a big caterpillar thing, and shot forward, consuming Yami’s Kuriboh.

‘Trap cards only work when they catch you by surprise,’ Yami said as his life points dropped to 1050. ‘Next time, don’t give your plan away.’

Weevil sniggered and that turned into laughter. ‘I didn’t! I don’t give a bee’s behind about that stupid trap! I tricked you into recalling your monsters, so you couldn’t attack this!’ He flipped his defence card face up.

Yami was confused as he saw what kind of monster appeared. And he wasn’t the only one. _It’s just a simple little larva moth. That tiny creature can’t be much of a threat. What’s Weevil up to now?_

Weevil sniggered. ‘Sure, he’s just a little slug now. But the Cocoon of Evolution will change all that!’ He threw the card down.

Yami’s eyes widened. ‘What?’

‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ Weevil crowed as the thing took shape.

Yami leaned back. ‘Urgh!’

***

Shamee was in complete agreement with Yami. They reason they didn’t lose their lunch was because of the lifestyle they’d had. Worse things happened. The other part was that her host was used to seeing corpses that had been rotting thousands of years, their efforts in mummification be damned.

‘Ew,’ Téa said. ‘That’s just gross.’

‘Weevil’s bug is sealing itself in a Cocoon!’ Joey stated.

‘Behold!’ Weevil crowed. ‘My Cocoon of Evolution!’

***

Yami idly wondered if Weevil ever stopped gloating.

‘Within that Cocoon sits my tiny little Larva Moth. And over the next five turns he will undergo a startling transformation! From harmless caterpillar to unstoppable Great Moth!’

Unstoppable? Yami doubted it. ‘Then I’ll crack your Cocoon before that happens.’

‘Easier said than done, Yugi,’ Weevil said. ‘My Cocoon of Evolution also gets a field power bonus from the wilderness around us, increasing its defence points!’ They went right up to 2600. ‘It’ll be so strong, you won’t even be able to scratch its surface!’ He held up his hand. ‘Just five more turns, Yugi. In five turns, my Great Moth will fully evolve and finish you off!’

 _If what Weevil says is true, I better act fast._ Yami was reasonably sure it could be beaten but Yugi may have been right. It was better to cut it off at the pass. _That thing’s getting bigger and stronger with each passing second._ He reached down and pulled the strongest card in his hand, laying it down. ‘Gaia, the Fierce Knight! Shatter that Cocoon!’

The Fierce Knight appeared on the field and charged. Its lance slammed into the Cocoon but glanced off it.

Joey yelled in alarm. ‘The field power bonus makes it too strong!’

Weevil gloated. ‘That’s one turn down! Care to try again?’

 _Weevil’s Cocoon is gonna be tough to crack. And for each attack that fails, my life points go down._ Yugi was right. Yami was now down to 750 life points.

***

‘Oh, no,’ Téa said.

‘Hang tough, Yugi!’ Joey called. ‘You’ll pop that pus-bag!’

Shamee turned her head as Mai laughed.

‘Just what do you think you’re laughing at?’ Téa demanded.

Mai looked at them. ‘All that stupid cheerleading you’re doing. You make it sound like your Yugi still has a chance.’

‘Of course he does!’ Téa snapped.

Joey pulled her back. ‘Don’t listen to her, Téa!’

‘Any duellist that’s ever gone up against Weevil’s Cocoon of Evolution has been totally trashed,’ Mai stated.

‘All of them?’ Joey and Tristan asked and Téa froze.

‘I heard that,’ Shamee said. ‘But Yugi’s got something none of them had.’

Mai smirked at her. ‘And what’s that?’

Shamee smirked right back. ‘A bit of it’s down here…’ She gestured to their little group, then tapped her forehead. ‘But most of it’s up here.’

Shamee was satisfied to see Mai’s startled and confused expression.

***

‘Hear it growing?’ Weevil bragged. ‘The more time you waste, the more powerful it becomes.’  
Yami was aware of that. Yugi was getting anxious. _If I don’t come up with something quick, I’m not just going to lose this duel, I’ll lose my only chance to save my grandpa._ Yami sent a mental wave of reassurance to the boy. _And there’s no way I can let that happen!_ That was better.

‘Tick, tock, tick, tock!’ Weevil mocked as he drew a card. ‘Just four more turns until my ultimate insect emerges. And you can stop worrying about how you’re going to destroy it and start worrying about how it’s going to destroy you.’

Yami drew the Beaver Warrior. Maybe I should prepare a defence in case I really can’t stop that thing. He laid it face down in defence mode.

‘Ha!’ Weevil scoffed as he drew. ‘You’re wasting your turn! No defence will save your life point once my Moth is out!’

Yami drew. _I have to figure out a way to turn this duel around! Weevil’s pretty confident that whatever’s growing in that Cocoon is unbeatable, but there’s gotta be some way to pop that thing open and wipe that smirk off his face. But how?_

‘Hang in there, Yugi!’ Téa called from below.

‘You gotta win this for your grandpa!’ Joey called. ‘He’s counting on you!’

‘I know he is,’ Yami said.

‘Then you can’t keep letting this little creep push you around,’ Joey insisted. ‘Yugi, you gotta get fired up!’

As he said that, Yami got an idea. And Yugi was just as quick. _Wait! That’s it! Get fired up!_

***  
Shamee had relaxed her posture. Sharee’s body wasn’t used to it and she was getting tired. There were a few memories, in her vessel mind, of the girl cracking open normal cocoons with her bare hands and one of two things happening.

‘So do you guys sit around and work out these lame cheers or do they just come to you?’ Mai asked. ‘I mean, don’t you realise that your pep talk nonsense only distracts Yugi from the game.’

Téa tensed. ‘How would you know?’

Shamee smirked. ‘She doesn’t.’ She stepped around the boys and put a placidating hand on Téa’s shoulder but still addressed Mai. ‘I noticed it before. You’re cynical and lonely. You don’t know what it’s like to have friends so you don’t understand what’s going on.’

‘Uh.’ Mai flinched and then turned her head away.

‘For example.’ Shamee pointed. ‘Yugi got an idea from what Joey just said.’

‘Huh?’ Mai looked back up.

Yami Yugi was giving his friends a thumbs up.

Tristan and Joey started cheering.

‘All right!’ Téa turned. ‘Well, Mai, from the look on Yugi’s face, I’d say that having friends just did help him out. So there!’ She stuck her tongue out.

Sharee crowed in her mind. Shamee smiled indulgently at both girls. _**Kids!**_

***

‘Go, Curse of Dragon!’ Yami threw the card down and the monster materialised on the field. ‘Take flight! And I’ll combine it…’ He threw down another. ‘…with this magic card. Attack with Dragon Flame!’ The fire shot out of the Curse of Dragon’s mouth and engulfed the whole of Weevil’s side of the field.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Weevil demanded. ‘You know your little firefly can’t hurt my Cocoon!’

Yami chuckled.

‘What’s so funny?’ Weevil demanded.

Yami smirked. ‘Whoever said I was aiming for your Cocoon? I combined my Burning Land magic card with my Curse of Dragon to destroy the forest all around your Cocoon.’

‘No Forest?’ Weevil drew back. ‘That means I lose my field power bonus!’

‘Exactly,’ Yami said. ‘Your Cocoon was too tough to attack directly, but without its field power bonus it’s just a big target.’

The Cocoon’s defence points dropped down to 2000. Weevil cried out in shock.

‘Now, let’s try this again,’ Yami said. ‘Gaia, the Fierce Knight, attack!’

The monster charged. This time when the lance hit the Cocoon, it popped loudly. Below him, his friends cheered.

‘He did it!’ Téa cried.

‘Popped it open like a zit!’ Joey pumped his fist into the air.

Weevil sniggered. Yami stared at it. That thing was still alive.

***  
Shamee guessed she should’ve figured.

‘Is it still alive?’ Téa asked.

The thing exploded out of the Cocoon.

‘It’s still…’ Joey stumbled. ‘…still moving.’

‘You’re surprised?’ Mai asked.

Shamee rolled her eyes and wandered over to her previous position. ‘Did you guys ever open any normal cocoons when you were little?’

‘No,’ Joey said.

‘I don’t think so,’ Téa answered.

‘Nope.’ Tristan shook his head.

‘I did,’ Shamee said. Actually, Sharee did. ‘If it was a small one, a half-evolved caterpillar would fall from it, dead. If it was a big one, a butterfly would come out. Not completely changed but enough so it could survive.’

***

Yami supposed that made sense but he was sure he’d never seen a cocoon beyond a spider’s one. And…something…something that he had no time to focus on told him that he never would have gotten his hands on one anyway.

‘I’m impressed that you pierced my Cocoon, Yugi,’ Weevil crowed. ‘But still you were unable to stop the evolution of my ultimate insect, the Great Moth!’

‘But I thought it took five turns,’ Yami said. He was making it sound like this was a fully evolved beast.

Weevil sniggered. ‘So you stopped him one turn early. He’s still strong enough to beat you.’

Yugi sighed in his mind. _Weevil turned this match around once more, but I’m not giving up!_

Weevil continued laughing. ‘So, Yugi, feeling outclassed yet? Or perhaps you’re enjoying your first major-league duelling loss.’

Yami composed his features. ‘You may have gotten your prized monster onto the field, Weevil, but I’ll still find a way to squash that oversized bug.’

Weevil barked out a laugh. ‘You’ll pay for that stinging jab with your life points!’

‘Duel!’ Yami ordered.

‘Great Moth, take flight!’ Weevil commanded.

Yami watched it rise. ‘So be it! We’ll settle this in the skies.’

Weevil’s eyes ran over the battlefield. ‘I think it’s high time I pay back your Knight for demolishing my Cocoon!’

 _My Knight! He’s the heart of my attack force. There’s no way I can afford to lose him._ But Yami had a card in his hand that could save him.

‘This is it, Yugi!’ Weevil cried. ‘My Moth will blast your defences, slay your Knight and crush your Dragon from the sky!’

‘Not if I can help it, Weevil!’ Yami threw down the Polymerisation card.

‘But that’s just it,’ Weevil insisted. ‘You can’t help it! Moth, Hurricane Attack!’

The Moth attacked and face down card was the first to go. ‘No! My Beaver Warrior!’ He gritted his teeth. ‘My defence.’

‘It’s hopeless!’ Weevil announced. ‘Nothing can stand against the gale-force winds of my Moth Hurricane! Your Knight will be totally blow away!’

The horse nickered as it was destroyed, but Yami knew better.

Weevil laughed. ‘That’ll teach him to mess with my Cocoon!’

‘Don’t count on it,’ Yami said.

That wiped the smirk off of Weevil’s face. ‘Huh?’

‘Weevil, you were so busy fawning over your Moth, you didn’t notice I played a Polymerisation card.’ Yami held it up.

Weevil drew back. ‘But…I thought…’

‘If I have two compatible monsters on the field, I can use my Polymerisation card and fuse them into one ultimate creature,’ Yami said.

Weevil growled. ‘I’m not some beginner. I know what fusion does.’

‘Then you must know it increases their attack points,’ Yami said. ‘My fused Knight combo is now powerful enough to go head-to-head with your Great Moth.’

But Weevil began laughing again. ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that! Look again.’

Yami did. ‘What? No…My Knight, he’s loosing points. And fast. But how? And why?’

Weevil sniggered. ‘It’s poison, Yugi. Poison particles from my Great Moth. Each time it uses its Hurricane attack, it releases tonnes of these tiny toxic particles. And your Knight combo is being poisoned by the deadly touch.’ He shrieked in laughter.

 _My Knight is losing points with each passing second. But how do I protect him against the very air itself?_ Yami looked down and winced. _There’s nothing here in my hand that can help him. But I know my grandpa’s deck won’t let me down._ He drew and, sure enough, there it was. ‘Yes! Ready to be rained out, Weevil?’ Yami laid the card down. ‘Mokiyu, the Magical Mist!’

Weevil’s laughter cut off and he drew back. Rain began to fall on the field. ‘No! My poison! You’re washing it all away!’

‘That’s right,’ Yami said. ‘Magical Mist washes the field clean.’

‘No fair!’ Weevil complained. ‘I was about to win and you save yourself with a little drizzle?’

Yugi was on the same page as him. _It’s true. I saved my Knight, but that’s not all I did._

Weevil got the smirk back on his face. ‘All right then. You may have stopped my poison attack but I promise you’ve only won a brief reprieve. Because my next move is one you won’t be able to think your way out of! Brace yourself for my Ultimate Insect’s ultimate attack! Great Moth, Tornado of Doom!’

The attack begun and Yami sensed the power within. Evenly matched attack points or not, this would wipe his monster out. If his life points dropped to zero, he wouldn’t be able to implement his strategy. Quickly calculating, Yami realised he would be left with fifty points. Enough.

The attack shot out and hit the Knight.

‘A direct hit!’ Weevil began laughing. ‘Your little rainstorm didn’t save you from that one now, did it? Your Knight is toast…and you’re almost out of life points.’

***  
Shamee had noticed. You didn’t know a guy like Yami for as long as she’d known him without getting some kind of knowledge about him. And she only had to look over the field to know what was up.

‘Yugi, keep fighting!’ Joey called. ‘You can come back from this!’

‘You’re all delusional,’ Mai said.

‘No,’ Téa argued. ‘Joey’s right. Yugi never gives up, and we never give up on him.’

‘You’re nuts,’ Mai stated. ‘Weevil has totally annihilated Yugi’s strongest monster combo. He’s down to fifty measly life points. He can’t win so do me a favour and stop yapping.’

‘Ohh,’ Shamee said, cutting off whatever Téa was about to say. Sharee really was a bad influence on her. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around? All right. Looked like that was fine. Shamee turned around and faced Mai, smirking. ‘What about a little bet on that? You think Weevil will win. I think Yugi will. Twenty bucks.’

Mai rolled her eyes. ‘You’re on.’

‘Good.’ Shamee turned back to the duel.

‘Yugi doesn’t have a chance,’ Mai said. ‘I’ve been telling you all along. He wastes too much of his time listening to you losers. Weevil keeps his mind on the game.’

‘Then why didn’t he see this coming?’ Tristan asked. Everyone except Shamee looked at him in surprise.

‘See what coming?’ Joey and Téa asked.

‘Whatever it is Yugi’s grinning about,’ Tristan said.

They all looked up. Yami Yugi was standing there, a deeply amused expression on his face.

‘You’re right,’ Joey said. ‘He’s got a big smile.’

Téa blinked. ‘He’s not smiling. I think he’s laughing.’

‘No way,’ Mai said.

Evidentially, Shamee was the only one of them who noticed.

***

Yami was laughing, but not loudly like Weevil did. No, he was chuckling like he always did when someone made an oversight and hadn’t even realised it.

Weevil was getting unnerved. ‘Hey, hey! What are you so happy about? Stop that sniggering!’

Yami closed his eyes. ‘Weevil, I know it will be very difficult for you to accept losing a duel.’ He opened his eyes. ‘Especially after spending so much time finding inventive ways to cheat. But if you thought bending the rules would help you win this match, you’re wrong.’

‘No!’ Weevil insisted. ‘This is a trick!’

‘You play dishonestly so you expect the same of your opponent.’ Yami took the card from his hand. ‘But I duel with honour, Weevil, and that makes all the difference.’

Weevil gritted his teeth. ‘You got nothing!’

‘Here’s what I’ve got.’ Yami laid the card in attack mode. ‘The mighty Summoned Skull!’ The monster appeared on the field out of a vortex. ‘This is it, Weevil. Your ultimate insect won’t withstand my next attack.’

From the look on Weevil’s face, he hadn’t noticed. Shamee had. Yami had just heard her making a bet with Mai. It must’ve been one of Sharee’s tendencies: when you know you will win a bet, go and make some money. Ra knew she’d never really been into wagering when they’d been alive, he was certain.

Yami chuckled. ‘There’s something you overlooked, Weevil. My Magical Mist is still dampening this entire field.’

The shock on Weevil’s face was refreshing. He gasped. ‘He’s right! Everything’s wet. My Great Moth is totally soaked!’

Yami finished the explanation. ‘And my Summoned Skull attacks with electricity, making your water-logged bug a giant-sized lightning rod. I hope you’re in the mood for some fireworks, Weevil, because all this water boosts my monster’s electrical attack by one thousand points.’ The Summoned Skull’s attack points flew up to 3500. ‘Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike!’

The Summoned Skull hissed and launched its electrical attack. The Great Moth was hit with a thunderous boom. It fell to the ground in a fiery mess. Weevil’s life points dropped to zero.

‘It’s over,’ Yami said. ‘I’ve won.’

‘No!’ Weevil denied it. ‘Impossible! My Moth’s unbeatable!’

Below him all his friends cheered. Shamee even gave her version of a cheer: a great big smug grin. And he had a feeling that didn’t have much to do with the fact that she was now twenty dollars richer.

***

Shamee smiled smugly. She turned and walked over to Mai, who was staring up in disbelief. She managed to pull herself out of her shock though and say, ‘Impressive. I didn’t think Yugi could ever beat Weevil.’

‘Word of advice,’ Shamee said. ‘Don’t judge someone until you know what’s inside. And I believe you owe me some cash.’ She held her hand out.

***

Yami stood over Weevil as he threw a tantrum.

‘But I’m the Regional Champion!’ he insisted. ‘The Regional Champion!’

Yami took a couple of steps closer. ‘You call yourself a champion, Weevil, but you only won your duels through lying and cheating.’ He wrapped his hand around the star chips he’d just won from the little worm. ‘True champions, they play with honour. They play fair.’

‘Ah, don’t waste your breath on this sneaky slug!’ Joey told him, causing Weevil to flinch away from him too. ‘He’s a duelling disgrace. And I hereby relieve him of his duelling gauntlet.’

They left him then, wandering out of the area. Yami slid the two new star chips into the slots. ‘There. Four star chips so far, but I still need to win six more. Ten star chips will gain me entry into that castle where they’re holding my grandfather prisoner. And where I’ll battle Pegasus once and for all.’


	6. First Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharee heads off to find some food. She returns to a duel between Joey & Mai.

Sharee walked with her friends. They were looking for someone to take Joey on. But she was actually thinking about something else, something she didn’t think the others – barring maybe the two dead Egyptians – had thought of.

They stopped and Joey clapped his fist into his palm. ‘Okay. Bring ‘em on! I’m itching to duel and I’m taking on the next player we see!’ He ran ahead to the edge of the hill.

‘You know, I’m not so sure Joey’s up to this,’ Téa said.

‘Yeah, there are tournament-level players here,’ Tristan agreed. ‘But don’t you think he’s smart enough to realise…’

Joey got there, turned around and raised his hand. ‘Here I stand, the next Duel Monsters champion!’

The four of them dropped their heads.

Téa sighed in exasperation. ‘He needs a reality check.’

‘Guess he’s about as smart as he looks,’ Tristan said.

‘Yeah.’ Sharee shook her head. ‘While you guys find someone he can actually beat, I’m gonna go set some animal traps.’ She turned and started to walk away.

‘Why?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee stopped and looked over her shoulder. ‘Because if we don’t get food another way, we’ll have to get it the old fashioned way: hunt, kill, cook. I’ll do the hunting and killing. You can cook.’

Sharee headed off. She disappeared into the uninhabited part of the forest, wandering closer to the castle. Before they actually got in there, she could get away with just about anything because Pegasus wanted her Millennium Bandanna.

Sharee had been prepared for this and she pulled her backpack from her back once she’d climbed a tree that looked good for animals. As soon as she thought she was high enough, she started setting the trap up. She may not have spent a lot of time in forests, but she did know how to catch good meat.

Besides, her backpack was a little too small for her to bring a bow and quiver of arrows.

As she slipped over the areas needed, Sharee was fully aware of it. Maximillion Pegasus was a civilised gentleman, the soul-snatching and Millennium Item acquisition cast aside. He indulged in all of the hobbies which Sharee thought generally pointless.

Wine-sipping, croquet, collecting (which was worth a cringe), painting – word had it he painted the designs on all of the duel monsters cards. The only “upper class” pursuit Sharee thought worth the time of day was hunting. Before there were people whose trade was to do it for you, you had to hunt to eat.

The final trap set, Sharee hopped down from the tree. It’d taken longer than she was hoping. All the same, she wasn’t sure where her friends had vanished off took. Thankfully, she had a built-in radar.

 _ **Oh, I’m a built-in radar now, am I?**_ Shamee was only acting offended but Sharee knew she really found it all amusing.

_Shut up. Where are they?_

Shamee seemed to find something worthy of groaning but gave Sharee the directions. She followed them down into the fields. When she did find them, she saw what had annoyed Shamee. Joey was duelling Mai. And something…was weird.

‘How was he talked into that?’ she asked herself but listened to what Mai was saying.

‘…Someone can be your best friend today and your worst enemy tomorrow.’

‘Let’s not start this again, please!’ Sharee groaned.

Mai shot her a glare.

‘Once the tournament forces you to face each other in a duel, where’s your friendship, then?’ Mai asked. ‘That why the only person a duellist can trust is himself. I hope that your defeat today teaches you that lesson kid.’

‘Poison tongue,’ Sharee said.

‘He’s loosing it!’ Tristan exclaimed.

‘He needs help!’ Téa insisted. ‘Yugi, help him!’  
 _ **She’s right! We better take over!**_

Sharee internally nodded and stepped back, allowing Shamee to take control of her body and she saw the Millennium Puzzle glow brightly as Yugi’s emotions made him unknowingly hand the control over to Yami.

***

As soon as Shamee took control of the body, something started bothering her.

‘Don’t listen to her, Joey,’ Yami said. ‘We’re here to help you, just like you’re always there for us.’

‘Wha…?’ With that one word, Mai established that she hadn’t seen the transformation before. She heard the change of voice – from the voice of a child to one of a man – and she couldn’t make sense of it. _A bit more observant than most._

‘Huh?’ Joey had been more surprised with that sentence coming out and cutting through his doubt over the voice change.

Shamee nodded. ‘Trust us on this. She’s just trying to divide and conquer.’

‘That’s a strategy that’s been used for centuries.’ The Millennium Eye glowed on the Yami’s forehead, invisible to the mortal eye. ‘Believe us. We know.’

Joey’s respond was sure. ‘When you guys get that look in your eyes, I believe everything you say.’

Mai laughed, but Shamee could feel she was very nervous. ‘Do you really think Yugi wants you to be the grand prize winner?’ She smirked smugly. ‘He’s a duellist too, you know. To win, you’ll eventually have to take him on.’

‘She’s right. We will have to duel, but…’ Shamee felt Joey’s heart go over everything that was one the line for both of them and watched as he muttered to himself. Joey jammed his eyes shut. Shamee heard him say, ‘I just gotta concentrate on how to win the game!’

Shamee refocused on what was bothering her as Joey stood there, trying to work everything out. It took her two seconds and she looked at Yami. He met her gaze and she tapped the side of her nose.

Yami inhaled once and then nodded. They both saw Joey lift his head slightly. Shamee would never be able to understand why modern-day humans had to close their eyes to get a smell.

Mai went on, cocky as ever. ‘Let’s go, kid! It’s your turn.’

‘That’s it.’ Joey opened his eyes. ‘I see through your card trick!’

‘Huh?’ Shock and denial came over her face.

‘You sprayed all your cards with different perfumes,’ Joey said. ‘And by smelling each different scent, you can tell which card is which even when they’re face-down.’

Mai tried to say something, but nothing came out.

‘So you don’t have to look in order to play your cards,’ Joey went on. ‘That way you can psych the other player out.’

Mai drew back. ‘No way! How could an amateur punk like you see through my aroma strategy? It’s just impossible!’

Joey smiled. ‘I gotta admit, Mai, you really had me buying into the whole “psychic powers” shtick. I was too freaked out to think things through because of that, but you’re not a psychic at all! You’re just a big fake!’

‘All right, Joey,’ Yami said.

‘You get her, Joey!’ Téa cheered.

‘You the man!’ Tristan called.

‘Yugi, you were right,’ Joey called down.

Now Mai was getting angry. ‘Just because you saw through my little psychic act doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to defeat me in a duel!’

‘I think you’re wrong,’ Joey said. ‘Before you were winning by confusing me and trying to pit me against my friends. But now my mind is clear. I know who I can trust. All you’ve got left is your cheap tricks and I’m won’t fall for ‘em anymore.’

Mai drew back.

‘I’m going to blast your Harpies out of the sky with this.’ Joey drew out the Baby Dragon and laid it down in defence mode.

‘Good card, Joey,’ Yami called.

‘Baby Dragon!’ The monster appeared on the field.

Mai laughed. ‘That wimpy card is your grand play? I only wish it was worth some more so when I devastate you it would do more damage to your life points.’ She smirked. ‘My card will be Elegant Egotist.’ She held it up before she put it onto play. ‘Its magic will make duplicates of my Harpy Lady.’

‘Oh, no!’ Joey cried.

There were now three Harpies on the field. ‘Harpy Lady one…two…three.’

‘It’s three times the trouble!’ Joey insisted.

***

Yami watched this with a critical eye. For all her talk, Mai was making a very amateur mistake. A quick glance over at Shamee and he could see she’d spotted it as well. The two modern-day kids were talking behind him.

‘Now what?’ Téa asked. ‘He was struggling when there was only one.’

‘Don’t give in, Joey,’ Tristan called. ‘You’ve still got all kinds of moves left!’

‘Really?’ Téa turned to him. ‘What moves would those be?’

‘How would I know?’ he responded. ‘As an expert. Ask Yugi.’ They both turned to him.

‘It’s Joey’s duel,’ Yami said. ‘He has to figure it out.’

Joey muttered to himself but they still heard him. ‘I don’t have any cards strong enough to beat three Harpy Ladies.’

‘Ha, ha!’ Mai crowed. ‘And I’m going to keep using the magic of Elegant Egotist to double my Harpies again and again each turn! But while my Harpies multiply I can’t attack you, so it’s your move. Of course, you’ll soon be up against an army!’

‘An army of Harpies?’ Joey asked. ‘How the heck do I fight an army?’

Yami saw he needed the help. ‘Don’t give up, Joey!’ He waited until his friend looked at him. ‘Think hard about her strategy. She’s been using only one monster card and strengthening that one monster card with many magic cards.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘But there’s a serious flaw in her duelling strategy, Joey.’

‘Using magic on one card? That’s true.’ Joey looked at the Harpies. ‘She’s just been juicing up the Harpy Ladies every turn. But if she has mostly magic cards, maybe the Harpy Ladies are her only monsters. I bet if I can just defeat her Harpies, she won’t have any monsters left to play!’

‘That’s right, Joey,’ Yami said. ‘Now, think. What card in your deck will help you win?’

‘Which of my cards?’ Joey repeated. ‘You tell me. Wait! I think maybe you did.’ He looked down at his hand.

Mai was looking bored. ‘If I had known how long it was going to take you to make a move, I would’ve brought a magazine.’

Joey reached for his deck, his hand shaking. If he doubted, he wouldn’t draw the card he needed. _**Trust in your cards, Joey! Trust in yourself!**_ Yami projected his own confidence into Joey’s heart. Shamee acted as the conduit.

Joey drew and then, quite comically, peeked at the card he’d pulled. He broke out in a grin. ‘All right!’ He threw the card down. ‘It’s the Time Wizard!’ The creature appeared on the field. It looked like a massive cartoon clock with a cape and large eyes. In its hand, it held a staff that had a spinner dial on top.

‘Hm?’ Mai blinked at it. ‘What good is that thing?’

‘Don’t you know?’ Joey asked. ‘The Time Wizard can make time go faster, causing my Baby Dragon to grow into A Thousand Dragon.’

Yami smiled knowingly. ‘Right, Joey. And that’s not the only effect your Time Wizard will have.’

‘Time Magic!’ The Time Wizard’s voice echoed across the field. A vortex appeared and the Joey’s monster went in.

‘Baby Dragon…’ Joey called. ‘…transform into A Thousand Dragon!’

The vortex vanished and a large dragon sat where the Baby one had been.

‘So now you have a bigger dragon? Big deal! My Harpy Ladies still have greater attack power! Attack it my three Harpy sisters!’ But they couldn’t. ‘What? What happened to my Harpy Ladies? They’ve gotten so old!’ And their attack points dropped all the way down to 1300.

Shamee and Yami both chuckled and he spoke. ‘I warned you. A millennium has passed on the playing field and your Harpy Ladies have become old and decrepit.’ His eyes narrowed and the smirk on his face widened.’ Face it, Mai. Time’s running out for you and your ladies.’

‘I believed!’ Joey cried. ‘And the cards came through for me! Awesome. Go, Thousand Dragon!’ The monster roared as it leapt into the air and flew at the Harpies. ‘Attack with Inferno Flame Breath!’

Fire shot out of its nostrils and burned the Harpy Ladies to dust. Mai cringed and her life points dropped from 2000 to 0. Behind Yami, Tristan and Téa cheered. Joey turned to them.

‘Thanks guys!’

Yami and Shamee both gave him a thumbs up.

For her part, Mai leaned on her side of the duelling arena. ‘How? How could I ever lose to such an amateur?’

‘Hey, Mai,’ Joey called and waited for her to look up at him. ‘I tried to tell you. There’s more to Duel Monsters than just kicking the other guy’s butt. If you’re ever going to be a real champion, you’ve gotta learn to care about someone – other than yourself. Isn’t that right, Yugi?’ He looked down at him.

Yami nodded and he and Shamee relinquished control of the bodies. He knew Shamee had just gone into her Chamber of the Mind with a chuckle. Having being with Sharee longer, she had her ways.

But Yami stood at the door of his Chamber of the Mind and smiled as he heard Yugi’s thoughts. _I’m proud of you, Joey. All your hard work and training paid off. You went from a guy with nothing but eagerness and attitude to a winning duellist who battles with his head…and his heart._


	7. Attack From the Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi vs. Mako Tsunami

‘Woo-wee!’ Joey cheered. ‘Four stars!’ He sniggered. ‘This is so awesome! I can’t believe it actually happened! Am I cool or what?’ He started laughing.

‘Is there a time limit on how long he gets to crow?’ Téa asked.

Sharee giggled. ‘Aw, cut him some slack.’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan said. ‘Did you ever think Joey would actually beat Mai in a duel? I mean, Joey! Who would’ve thought?’

Yugi turned around. ‘I knew he’d do it. I’m really proud of you, Joey.’

‘Yeah!’ Joey was cut off as his stomach rumbled. ‘Aw, all that duelling made me hungry. Did any of you guys remember to bring any food with you?’

‘Sorry, Joe,’ the other four said.

Joey groaned. ‘What were we thinking coming here with no food? How are we going to get through the rest of the competition without anything to eat?’

‘That’s a good question, Joey. This duelling really takes it out of you and I haven’t seen any burger stands or restaurants since we got here.’ Yugi turned to Sharee. ‘Wait, you set animal traps, didn’t you? Do you think you caught any food?’

‘I can go and see,’ Sharee said.

‘You better hurry up, then,’ Téa insisted. ‘I’ve gotta have my five basic food groups or else…it’s metabolic meltdown!’

‘All right, all right!’ Sharee turned and headed off. ‘Take a chill pill. You don’t have to bite my head off.’

‘Do I have to wait?’ Joey groaned and then he sniffed. ‘No, wait!’ He turned and pointed. ‘I smell something cooking that-a-way!’ He took off. ‘See you!’ They watched him go.

‘He’s hallucinating,’ Téa said.

‘Don’t be so sure,’ Tristan responded. ‘You know it wasn’t his brain that beat Mai, it was his nose.’

‘Should we leave where Sharee’s going to find us?’ Yugi asked as they started following him.

‘It’ll be fine,’ Téa said. ‘She found us during the duel. And she always says she can find anything or anyone.’

***

Sharee was glad to find that a few of her traps had snagged some animals. Her skill wasn’t as bad as she thought. She pulled her slingshot out from her back pocket, where it was tucked under her jacket. Sharee grabbed a stone off the ground and loaded it in. Drawing the launcher back, she let it fly. This was how she killed her prey.

_**You do that well. Are you sure you never lived in my time?** _

Sharee chuckled and sat down. _Pretty sure._ She started working on the birds. She pulled a carefully concealed hand-axe out of her bag and started chopping their heads off. Then it was string to let the blood drain out and the plucking of the birds.

_**You know, your actions just contradicted what you said. I am certain that most teenagers of the modern world don’t catch, kill, behead, pluck…and gut birds with their bare hands.** _

If she’d been standing next to her, Sharee would have looked at her. As it was, she just stood there, looking at the handful of bird innards in her hand. She dropped them and chuckled to herself. _Maybe not, but this is me. Most modern-day teenagers wouldn’t find out they have a five thousand year old spirit in their head and take that as a reasonable explanation as to why they suffered blanks in their memory._

Shamee snorted in a very unladylike fashion. _**What is it you kids say? Touché.**_

Sharee smiled to herself and continued preparing the birds, making them unrecognisable to Yugi, Téa, Joey and Tristan as anything else but edible meat. Most people these days didn’t like knowing where their food came from.

Once that was done, Sharee pulled a roll of tinfoil out of her bag and started wrapping the birds up. She finished by chopping off their feet. As she cleaned up her mess, she could just about see Shamee leaning over her shoulder.

_**Anyway, you certainly came prepared.** _

Sharee shrugged. _People have a natural assumption nowadays that they’re going to be catered to if they go to an event. I didn’t think so. I figured the others wouldn’t think to bring food and I could either bring some and it wouldn’t last long or bring what I needed to get it from what’s already here._

Everything was almost the way she left it – not much she could do about the blood splatters except wait for rain and the insides had been thrown into the underbrush for other critters to feast on. Sharee headed back. She just had to change her course because Shamee noticed they weren’t where she left them.

Sharee found them by the ocean, Yami in a duel with Mako Tsunami. Sharee groaned and walked over to Joey, Tristan and Téa.

‘Why is it every time I leave you guys alone, I come back and find someone duelling?’ That said, Sharee handed the reins to Shamee.

***

Yami heard that comment of Sharee’s right before Shamee took over. He had to agree. Each time, Sharee had gone to do something so far she’d returned to find someone duelling. But, unlike last time, she’d only come during the beginning.

‘You’re good, Mako,’ Yami said. ‘A brilliant opening play.’ His life points dropped down to 1740.

‘I am pleased you appreciate it,’ Mako responded. ‘Though I very much doubt your Imp did.’

‘Well, now I know what I’m up against,’ Yami mused to himself.

‘Yes, the mighty ocean commands respect,’ Mako agreed. ‘As do the creatures that inhabit it.’

 _Maybe I can prepare an attack that will destroy his creatures, even though I can’t see them._ Yami took a card from his hand. ‘Feral Imp.’ He played the card and the monster appeared. _My Feral Imp should dispense with Mako’s monsters. No matter how deep they’re hidden in the sea._

‘I am familiar with your Feral monster,’ Mako said, taking a card from his hand. ‘And its electrical attack. So for my next card, I play my Giant Jelly Fish.’ The monster appeared on the field…except, like the others, he couldn’t see it. It was submerged underwater. It screeched loudly.

Yami drew back. ‘I don’t like the sound of that!’

Mako laughed. ‘That is the battle cry of my creature.’

‘It’ll be crying all right.’ Yugi threw down the card. ‘Once I combine my Feral Imp with the magical Horn of the Unicorn!’ The Horn appeared on the Imp’s head and it rose up, screeching. Electricity crackled around it and its attack points rose to 2000.

On the sidelines, Joey worked it out fast and explained it to Téa. She drew the rest of the conclusions.

‘Magic Lightning, attack!’ Yami called. The Imp attacked but there was a problem. ‘But what is this? Nothing is happening. Mako still has all his life points.’

Mako laughed. ‘Your strategy has failed, Yugi!’ His Jelly Fish rose out of the water.

‘How?’ Yami demanded.

‘As a sea duellist, I am well aware that water conducts electricity,’ Mako said. ‘So I played my Giant Jelly Fish. It has the magical ability to absorb all electrical attacks, protecting all of my ocean creatures.’

Yami ground his teeth.

The Jelly Fish screeched as it went back down. ‘And now it’s time for my counter-attack. Fiend Kraken, crush his Feral Imp!’ The tentacles shot out of the ocean again and wrapped around the Imp, pulling it from the shore. ‘Crush him now!’ The Imp was destroyed. Mako laughed. ‘Did you enjoy my Kraken’s embrace?’

Yami pulled his focus in, thinking. And he wasn’t the only one. _I’ve never duelled against creatures like these before. It feels as if I’m battling Mako’s sea monsters and the awesome power of the ocean itself._

‘Do any of your cards have the power to stand against my ocean pets?’ Mako asked.

Yami laid a card down. ‘I have the power of Silver Fang and I combine him with the magic of the Full Moon to double his ferocity.’ Both cards appeared on the field. Silver Fang howled.

Mako laughed. ‘Ferocious indeed, but the moon also controls the tides causing them to rise…’

Rat rot, he forgot about that. On the other hand…

‘…allowing me to release my next creature.’ Mako played another card. ‘Rise, mighty Koriosheen!’ The waves suddenly went flying up.

Yami drew back. ‘What’s this?’

A large water serpent rose up out of the water. ‘Behold the colossal Koriosheen,’ Mako said. ‘A creature so enormous that when he rises up from the ocean depths, he creates his own tidal wave!’

‘What a beast!’ Yami exclaimed.

‘Your wolf is brave, Yugi, but he will not stand before my Koriosheen’s tidal attack.’ As Mako said, the waves washed over the field and Yami’s monster howled as into drowned.  
‘No!’ Yami called. ‘Silver Fang!’ The water splashed up and he flinched back from it.

‘Gone,’ Mako said. ‘But my Koriosheen’s tidal attack did more than simply wash your wolf-cub away.’

‘What?’ Yami asked.

Mako pointed down. ‘It considerably altered our playing field.’

Yami looked at it. ‘My land! Koriosheen’s attack wiped away nearly my entire land-based playing field.’

Mako laughed. ‘You should consider yourself lucky, Yugi. In my previous duels, when Koriosheen attacks, absolutely nothing is left standing in its wake. I think it was quite considerate of my pet to leave you a little patch of dirt to stand on. Don’t you? Or does it make you uneasy to be surrounded on all sides by the sea? All men give pause before the savage power of the mighty ocean, even the greatest of fishermen.’

Yami understood. ‘You mean your father?’

Mako leaned over onto the duelling platform. ‘My father was a great fisherman. He taught me my love of the sea, but…one day the sea…took him. I loved going out on the boat with my father, just the two of us and the big beautiful ocean, never suspecting that the sea would turn on us. My father saw the storm coming. He warned me that you should never take chances with the ocean. And father was right. Suddenly the calm, friendly sea turned into a raging maelstrom. It pitched our boat as if it were a toy. I couldn’t hold on so my father tied me down to the mast. When the storm finally died out, our little boat had washed ashore. My father was right, I had been perfectly safe. But because he had stopped to tie me down, he had no time to secure himself to the mast! I thought I had lost him forever, but then I noticed that our life boat was missing.’ He clenched his hand in a fist. ‘I know my father is alive. So I will win this contest, buy a ship and search the seven seas until I find him. That is why I duel Yugi. That is why I must win and you must lose.’

‘I understand, Mako, believe me,’ Yami said. ‘But I still can’t let you win.’

Mako smiled. Down below, out of his peripheral vision, Yami saw Shamee nod and their friends talked amongst themselves.  
 _With so little land left to me, I’ve really gotta make this play count. I need something that will help me turn the tide. Something like this card._ Yami pulled it from his hand and played it in defence mode. ‘Giant Soldier of Stone.’ The soldier appeared. ‘You may have shrunk my battlefield down to an island, Mako, but my Stone Soldier still gets a field power bonus.’ Its attack points rose to 1690.

‘Your massive monster can barely fit on that little rock, let alone do battle with my undersea attack force,’ Mako said. He took a card from his hand. ‘And his is surrounded on all sides by the ocean. Making him easy prey for…’ He laid the card down. ‘…Great White Terror!’ A shark monster appeared on the field, jumping to the surface before it submerged underwater again. ‘This savage shark will lead my other creatures on an all-out ocean onslaught.’

Yami watched the sea monster come around and circle the Stone Soldier.

‘This is it, Yugi,’ Mako said. ‘The duel is over but you played honourably.’

Yami smirked. ‘You have been a fair and honourable opponent too, Mako, but I also duel with the fate of a loved one at stake. And I can’t afford to lose.’ He reached down. ‘I switch my stone soldier to attack mode!’

‘Attack mode?’ Mako drew back. ‘But why? He cannot attack my sea monsters while they are underwater!’

‘But his target isn’t your sea monsters,’ Yami said. ‘I’m having him attack a card I put on the field myself.’ He pointed. ‘The moon!’

‘No!’ cried Mako.

Yami gave the order. ‘Now, Stone Soldier, destroy the moon!’ The Stone Soldier thrust his sword up and struck the moon. It shattered and fell to pieces.

Mako cried out. ‘What’s happening? The tide…it’s going out! But how?’

Yami folded his arms. ‘As you yourself said before, Mako, it is the moon that controls the ocean’s tide: its ebb and its flow. So I ordered my Stone Soldier to destroy the Moon, causing the ocean to reverse and recede. My Stone Soldier has beached all your sea monsters. You have no ocean left.’

‘No,’ Mako murmured. ‘My precious fish.’

‘And now I’ll deliver the final blow.’ Yami threw down the two cards. ‘I combine my Curse of Dragon card with the magic of the Burning Land card, to wipe out your remaining life points.’ The Curse of Dragon appeared on the field. ‘Burning Land attack!’ The Dragon shot fire out of its moth and burned all of Mako’s monsters to little more but cinders, leaving the Stone Soldier unharmed. ‘And that takes your life points down to zero!’

‘No!’ Mako cried out as just that happened.

‘Way to go, Yugi!’ Téa cheered as Shamee grinned. Joey and Tristan struck some poses which – Yugi’s mind supplied – were supposed to be macho. Yami could see why Shamee was so exasperated at these kids so much. As a matter of fact, she was currently shaking her head at them indulgently. No matter how much affection they had for them, they were still kids. It reminded him of something…just in a different way.

‘Destroying your own Moon card was a brilliant and unexpected move, Yugi,’ Mako said. He smiled. ‘What a grand duel! I salute you, my friend!’

Yami smiled back. ‘This victory was not easily won, Mako. You’re a great duellist yourself.’

Later, they stood on the shore.

‘I am down to one star chip,’ Mako said. ‘But I will start over again.’

‘And I bet you’ll do fine,’ Yami responded.

‘You’d win that wager.’

Yami and Mako clasped hands. Odd how modern-day humans showed friendship. Behind him, Yami heard his friends talking.

‘You know, I can’t help but like that Mako,’ Téa said. ‘He’s such a great guy and all. I hope he finds his father someday.’

Shamee chuckled.

Mako’s stomach growled and he laughed. ‘My friend, duelling you is hungry work. Time for Mako to fish again!’ He leapt into the sea. ‘Farewell!’

‘Bye, Mako,’ Téa said as she, Joey and Tristan blinked after him.

‘Wish he’d bring us some fish,’ Tristan mused.

‘We’ve have to duel him again,’ Yami pointed out. They all laughed. Yami waited until it died down before he said, ‘Sharee, did you catch anything?’

For some reason, even when she knew different, Shamee had called him by his vessel’s name. He assumed there was a reason for it. But until he knew what that was, he’d follow her rules.

‘Couple of birds,’ Shamee said.

‘That sounds all right.’ Yami turned and started leading them back into the forest. ‘We’ll cook them and that’ll be lunch.’

‘What, no instant food?’ Joey asked.

Shamee rolled her eyes. ‘Do I look like a waitress?’


	8. Everything's Relative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out Mokuba is also on the island.

Shamee and Yami hadn’t bothered to give their vessels back control. Both of them knew they needed to talk about it, the fact that they weren’t even in their own bodies anymore. There were certain things about this society that Yami had to know. And, from the look on his face, he knew that.

Shamee was about to make an excuse when something caught her eye. She watched it for a couple of seconds and then stood up. ‘Just a minute, I’ve spotted something. I’ll be right back.’ That said, Shamee took off.

The figure that she’d seen didn’t move very fast so Shamee caught him after about a hundred paces. And she knew who it was before she even started the chase. All she wanted to know was quite reasonable, she was absolutely sure. She shot out from between two trees and grabbed his wrist, careful not to hurt him. His eyes widened when he saw she had him and he tugged against her grip but Shamee had held much bigger and stronger people down in her lifetime. A twelve year old boy was no problem. He had no escape.

‘Mokuba Kaiba,’ Shamee said. ‘What are you doing here and…’ She yanked the scarf from the front of his face. ‘…what’s with the disguise?’

Mokuba looked startled at first. Then he yanked against Shamee’s grip. She didn’t let go though. He glared at her and gritted his teeth.

‘It’s not like I have a choice!’ Mokuba snapped. ‘Pegasus kidnapped me after Yugi broke Seto’s spirit! My brother holed himself up in his room and wouldn’t come out!’

Shamee sighed heavily. ‘Yugi didn’t break Kaiba’s spirit. He beat him in a game where the winner is always the one who uses his heart, disguised as a duel, and then cast the evil part of him to the Shadow Realm.’ She looked down at Mokuba’s face, now somewhere between shocked and angry. ‘Now, what was that about Pegasus kidnapping you?’ A quick scan of his heart and Shamee knew Mokuba wouldn’t run so she let him go.

‘Pegasus wants to take over KaibaCorp,’ Mokuba said.

‘And kidnapping you is supposed to help how?’ Shamee asked.

‘The company by-laws,’ Mokuba said. ‘They require a living Kaiba heir to make any change of control legal. But I escaped the castle and now…Yugi insulted Seto’s honour…’

‘By defeating him?’ Shamee shook her head. ‘No. All he did was show Kaiba the Heart of the Cards. It’s called humility and it’s actually quite good for you…once you get over the shock.’ She leaned over and clasped Mokuba on the shoulder. ‘Listen close. I know a bit about sibling loyalty.’ Actually Sharee did. ‘Had it occurred to you that to get control of KaibaCorp, through a living heir, they first have to kill your brother?’

The shock and horror on Mokuba’s face answered that for her.

Shamee nodded. ‘If it’s not going to get you out of trouble, it can wait.’

**Kaiba Mansion**

Seto Kaiba had been working on his new duelling disks when the door was kicked open. He turned around. There were two guards in suits standing there. Really? Being attacked in his own home?

One of them pointed at him. ‘Mr. Pegasus would like to have a word with you!’

_Pegasus._

He should’ve known. In one swift move, Kaiba got the disks in their case, sealed it shut and kicked a chair into the goons, with one statement. ‘You’ll never take me alive!’

The one closest took a step forward and immediately tripped over the chair. He stumbled to his feet.

‘After him!’

Kaiba ran to the window and crashed out through the glass, heading right for the ocean. If he was very lucky and even more talented, he could survive this fall. Something occurred to him as he went.

There were thugs crashing into his home. And they were sent by Pegasus. Come to think of it…Mokuba hadn’t come knocking on the door, asking him to come out anytime recently.

_Could he be…?_

No! His little brother was a smart kid. He was almost as smart as Kaiba had been at that age. If some guys like that showed up, he’d know to run. He probably just hadn’t been able to get back in the house, because if he’d come pounding on the door with that, Kaiba would have left the room without question.

_Nothing’s more important than my little brother._

**Duellist Kingdom**

Yami leaned against the tree and listened to this. A hostile takeover of KaibaCorp and, at the same time, Pegasus had a duelling tournament. Coincidence? No. It was too large for that.

‘So you mean, they kidnapped you to try and take over KaibaCorp?’ Joey asked Mokuba. ‘How does that work?’

‘If my brother’s still alive, it doesn’t,’ Mokuba said. ‘But, if they kill him…’

Poor kid sounded dejected. Yami opened his eyes. ‘Sharee?’

Shamee looked over at him. Her eyes glazed over for a second and then she looked at Mokuba. ‘Don’t worry. I don’t think your brother will go down that easy.’

‘But…what if…’ Mokuba trailed off.

‘Don’t worry.’ Yami straightened up and looked at the boy. ‘All Pegasus will do will be to alert him to the problem and I promise I will reunite you with your brother.’

Yami could see it in Mokuba’s eyes, that look people got when he made them a promise. A look filled with hope. He’d always liked that look. It reminded him of the little things that meant the world.

‘And his word is better than Gospel.’ Shamee pulled a small golden whistle out of her pocket. She handed it to Téa. ‘Right. Next on the agenda, I need to talk to Yugi about something. If any goons try to grab Mokuba, use that. We’ll hear it a mile away. Not that we’ll be that far.’

Yami nodded. He and Shamee left their confused friends and the confused and hopeful twelve year old boy in the clearing. Yami knew what Shamee wanted to talk about. They came to an area outside of earshot.

Yami sat on a particularly large rock. ‘This is about the vessels, isn’t it?’

‘I really wanted to talk to you about it sooner,’ Shamee said. ‘But I couldn’t find the opportunity.’

‘Understood.’ Yami looked at her. ‘The main thing I don’t understand is why you seem to have better communication with Sharee than I do with Yugi.’

‘Knowledge,’ Shamee said. ‘Sharee knows that I’m here – for a fact. Yugi would be a bit more sceptical.’

‘Why?’ Yami asked.

‘Because this is a sceptical era,’ Shamee said. ‘If people see magic, they think it’s a trick. They think there’s some kind of mechanism operating. Except my vessel was raised on magic and monsters so she knows they’re actually real. Yugi, on the other hand, would’ve been taught they only exist in fairy tales.’

‘Fairy tales?’ Yami asked.

‘Yeah,’ Shamee said. ‘You know, those moral-driven stories for young children that always have a happy ending. Anything Yugi can’t rationalise while you’re in control of his body, by this logic, he forces himself to forget. Don’t worry. It passes.’

‘That’s why we need to address each other by the names of our vessels at all times?’ Yami asked.

Shamee nodded. ‘That and it probably wouldn’t be productive for certain people to find out who we really are.’

‘Do we even know who we really are?’ Yami asked.

Shamee scratched her head. ‘If you don’t know either, then no.’

Yami sighed and dropped his head. ‘How did this sceptism of magic happen?’

Shamee frowned thoughtfully. ‘Well, based on Sharee’s historical knowledge, it was started by something called Christianity.’

‘And what’s that?’ Yami asked.

‘A belief in one God, and his balance point, the Devil. An idea that the afterlife is a state of either pure bliss, otherwise known as heaven, or one of pure torture. That’s called hell. Which one you go to is supposed to depend on whether you were a bad person or a good one.’ She paused. ‘Oh, and the paranoid belief that magic is all evil.’

‘Magic is only evil if you use it for such,’ Yami stated.

‘Yeah, paranoid.’ Shamee sat down on the grass. ‘Over time, for many, these religious superstitions became idle myths. The point is these kids come from a very different world from us. I had to adjust a lot of my behaviours when I united with Sharee, as I expect you’ll have to do when Yugi works out you’re there. Our basic morals are the same – don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t lie – but our concepts of justice and the methods of enforcement are different. What we would call normal procedure, they would call going too far.’

‘Going too far?’ Yami asked. ‘Such as?’

‘The Mind Crush,’ Shamee said. ‘First time I did that in this body, I killed the guy. Not so bad to us. But Sharee established contact with me for the first time that night. She said, and I quote, “I get that you’re from Ancient Egypt. You have an ancient concept of justice and that usually means a death penalty, but I’m not exactly that way inclined. Could you maybe, instead, just give them a nice, healthy scare?” And it was her body, so I supposed she had more say than me.’

Yami was surprised at that. ‘That was…polite.’

Shamee chuckled. ‘Well, she really appreciates the fact that I don’t do anything with her body that she wouldn’t do herself. And, evidentially, allowing the owner of the vessel control most of the time is a very polite way to possess someone.’

Yami paused and considered that. ‘That’s true, I suppose. Most spirits…’

A loud whistle cut through the air.

‘Rat rot!’ They both yelled at the same time and bolted toward the sound.


	9. Duel With A Ghoul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi Duels the ghost of Seto Kaiba.
> 
> ...Or is it?

They moved faster than modern-day humans ever could hope to do, weaving through the forest. Despite the limitations of their vessels, they remembered the tricks. Shamee kept an inch behind Yami on his right side. They ran out of the forest to find Joey, Tristan and Téa facing off one of the guards, who had Mokuba by the arm.

‘Let him go!’ Yami ordered.

Something caught Shamee’s eye and she turned her head. ‘What in the name of the Nile?’

The rest of them looked. Everyone gasped, except for the guard. He laughed. ‘Yeah, if you want me to give the kid back, you gotta duel him.’

On the duelling platform, it looked like Kaiba. It looked exactly like him. But the face was older and haggard, the skin was darker yet sickly-looking. And there was no goodness in his eyes…or his heart.

The guard laughed. ‘Yugi, you don’t have a ghost of a chance beating Kaiba because this time he is a ghost!’

‘A ghost?’ Yami demanded.

‘Stop it, Kimo!’ Mokuba knew the guard.

‘It’s a fact,’ Kimo said. ‘Two witnesses saw him fall to his doom.’

Yami, Shamee, Téa, Tristan and Joey gasped.

‘Liar!’ Mokuba insisted. ‘Take back what you said!’

‘Get used to it. All that’s left of Kaiba are your memories.’ Kimo turned. ‘Plus a very cranky ghost just looking for revenge.’

As Kimo had been talking, Shamee slipped closer and whispered in Yami’s ear. He nodded and stepped forward. ‘It’s not him!’

‘Well, he’s seen better days,’ Kimo said. ‘It’s time to duel with the ghoul.’

‘It can’t be,’ Yami insisted. ‘That guy’s nothing but a fake. A trick by Pegasus.’ He looked at the boy. ‘Don’t worry, Mokuba. I’ll win your freedom, then we’ll find your brother.’

***

Yami stood on the duelling platform and looked across at “Kaiba”.

‘Yugi,’ he said. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

‘That’s enough,’ Yami snapped.

‘I am no longer of this world,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘And it’s all because of you.’

Yami growled.

‘I could’ve had it all,’ “Kaiba” went on, relentless. ‘But when you beat me, you took more than just the match. You stole my life and destroyed my soul.’

Yami didn’t buy into it. ‘You’re nothing but an impostor, so stop the lies and let’s start the duel.’

‘Fine with me.’ “Kaiba”’s eyes narrowed. ‘This time you won’t beat my cards.’

‘You might look like Kaiba,’ Yami said. ‘But there is no way you can imitate his deck.’

“Kaiba” smirked. ‘You mean _my_ deck.’

Yami narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth.

‘Beat him, Yugi!’ Mokuba called. ‘He’s nothing but a fake!’

‘Yeah!’ Joey joined in. ‘That ghost don’t even look like Kaiba!’

‘That’s right.’ Téa rushed to correct herself. ‘Wait. I mean, it’s not a ghost and it’s not Kaiba.’

‘Get him, Yugi!’ Tristan called.

Yami nodded. He turned his attention to “Kaiba” because he felt the mental vibrations that preceded thought communication. And they were coming from the impostor. Kaiba had never believed in that stuff. He didn’t even believe in the Heart of the Cards.

 _Yugi, I know you can hear me. I know you’re sensing my thoughts. And I know that you can see the truth. I am Kaiba. But this time you’re duelling someone who’s got nothing to lose._ But Shamee was accurate. Even though it seemed like it was him, Yami had gotten a very clear message from her: Mokuba is the dearest living thing to Kaiba’s heart.

‘Kimo, once I beat Yugi, Pegasus can have Kaiba Corporation,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘All I want is revenge.’

Kimo smirked.

“Kaiba” turned to Yami. ‘Three stars says I win.’

‘Fine by me,’ Yami said. ‘That means when the duel’s done, I’ll have six.’

‘Let’s duel.’ Kaiba held up his card. ‘Guess I’ll go first.’ He laid a card down. ‘And I’ll start off with the Hitopsumi Giant.’

The monster appeared on the field. Yami stared at it.

‘Hm,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘Is something wrong? It’s your turn to move, Yugi.’

 _The Hitopsumi Giant is how Kaiba began our last duel._ Yugi was definitely as startled as he was.

‘There’s a card just like that in my brother’s deck,’ Mokuba said.

‘Hey!’ Joey called. ‘Just because it’s the same card doesn’t mean it’s the same deck!’

Shamee’s comment was what got his attention. ‘And even if it is, that just means that Pegasus took the deck.’ Then she had her cell phone out and was dialling, calling someone for one reason or another.

That was something to consider. _He’s trying to confuse me by making the same opening move that Kaiba did. But it’ll have the same result._ ‘I’ll start with this card.’ Yami laid the card down in attack mode. ‘Go, Dark Magician! With an attack strength of 2500!’ His favourite monster appeared on the field. ‘Dark Magic attack!’

The Dark Magician attacked and the Hitopsumi Giant broke to pieces.

‘So much for your Giant,’ Yami said as his opponent’s life points fell to seven hundred.

“Kaiba” chuckled. ‘You’re as strong as ever, Yugi.’

‘Did you see that?’ Joey demanded from below. ‘That carbon copy Kaiba is laughing!’

‘It’s funny how things have come full circle, Yugi,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘What are you thinking in that feeble brain of yours right now. I bet I know. You’ve come to the conclusion that, no matter what, there’s no way you can win. And you couldn’t be more right. Even a simpleton like you know knows that I must be Seto Kaiba. And once you accept that fact, then you may as well accept defeat.’

‘I don’t care who you are,’ Yami said. ‘You’re going to lose to me just the same.’

‘But, Yugi, you barely beat me the last time we duelled,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘And this time your big advantage is…gone.’

‘What do you mean?’ Yami demanded.

“Kaiba” chuckled. ‘Exodia. You’ve lost Exodia.’

Yami froze. How did he know that?

‘You could only beat me with Exodia in your deck and, without it, you can only lose.’

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
The door to the underground room opened and Seto Kaiba stepped in. He flicked a couple of switches and booted up the computer. That was the main purpose of this place. Sitting down, he pulled the headgear on.

The computer interface instigated. ‘Running identity verification protocol. Please state your name.’

‘Seto Kaiba.’

The rest of the monitors booted up. ‘I thought I’d seen it all, but having to break into your own house?’

‘It’s too long of a story for right now,’ Kaiba said.

‘Too long a story?’ The computer stated loading. ‘Well, maybe I’m not in such a talkative mood myself right now!’

‘I find that hard to believe,’ Kaiba said.

‘Such a smart guy!’ An image of his corporation building appeared on the screen. That was followed by a chart appearing. ‘While you were off gallivanting, a hostile takeover of Kaiba Corporation has begun.’

‘I know,’ Kaiba said.

An image of Duellist Kingdom with a small picture of Pegasus appeared. ‘At the same time, Maximillion Pegasus kicked off his Duel Monsters Championship at the Duellist Kingdom.’ Kaiba was surprised to see a profile picture of Yugi appear. ‘If Yugi Moto can be defeated by Pegasus or a competitor that represents him, then the new Kaiba Corporation Board has promised him control of the company!’

That made sense. ‘He won’t win. Yugi is unbeatable. His deck has Exodia.’ The memory of the only defeat he’d ever suffered still had Kaiba grinding his teeth. His three Blue Eyes White Dragons…

‘Yeah, well…’ The interface cut into his thoughts. ‘Sometime after you lost to Yugi, he _lost_ Exodia.’

‘No way!’ Kaiba couldn’t believe it. He’d lost Exodia?

‘When it rains, it pours.’ Then, to Kaiba’s horror, a picture of his brother appeared on the screen. ‘Pegasus knows all about the Corporation by-laws that require a living Kaiba heir to make any change of control legal. Mokuba’s his prisoner. And with you out of the way, it’s likely he’ll exert all kinds of pressure to make your brother do what he wants, one way or another.’

Kaiba’s eyes narrowed. His mind turned all this over in his head. He had to stay calm if he was going to save Mokuba. Pegasus was cunning and manipulative and he never seemed to lose his cool.

‘So now you know. What are we going to do?’

Kaiba had that worked out. ‘They’ll keep my brother safe, at least until the take-over’s complete, so I’ve gotta make sure Pegasus doesn’t defeat Yugi in a duel no matter what. I’m not going to give up Kaiba Corporation without a real fight. It’s take-over time – by me. We’re going to hack right into Pegasus’s computer mainframe. Next stop: the Duellist Kingdom.’

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
This was getting on Yami’s nerves. ‘You here to play head games or Duel Monsters? It’s time for your move.’

“Kaiba” chuckled. ‘And it’s gonna blow your mind. This next card’s a blast from the past, Yugi – with the emphasis on “blast”!’ He turned the card around and Yami was met with the sight of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Yami gasped and drew back. Not good! Was Kaiba really dead? Or, and he thought this much more likely, was Shamee right?

‘I attack with the Blue Eyes White Dragon!’ “Kaiba” threw down the card and the rarest Dragon in Duel Monsters appeared on the field with a loud roar.

‘Only…one deck has got that card,’ Joey said from below him.

‘That means…what they say…could it be true?’ Mokuba asked.

“Kaiba” laughed. ‘Looks like the advantage is mine!’

 _So this really is Kaiba’s deck. There’s no other explanation. But does that mean that Kaiba…Kaiba is really…?_ Yami wanted to reassure the boy. Shamee knew what she was talking about. But Yugi didn’t know he was there. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge it, so Yami would remain silent.

“Kaiba” cut into his thoughts. ‘Don’t worry, Yugi. My feeling’s weren’t hurt when you called me a liar. Now, admit that you were wrong!’

Yami gritted his teeth. No.

“Kaiba” chuckled again. ‘Not having a real body isn’t so bad. You would not believe what I save on food bills alone. But I still get to enjoy the finer things in life, like revenge. And I’m going to savour its sweet taste for a very long time.’

‘Shut up!’ Mokuba yelled emotionally. ‘Please, someone make him go away! Make him go away!’ He sobbed.

‘Hah!’ “Kaiba” scoffed. ‘Almost breaks my heart, if I had one.’

That was enough for Yami. Kaiba may have been harsh and mocking of everyone else, but he loved his little brother. He would never do anything to hurt him and, if he was suffering, Kaiba would be the first to bring harm to the boy’s antagonist. Even though Yami hadn’t seen much interaction between the two brothers, that had been made clear by the way Mokuba acted. That sort of behaviour always went both ways.

Sharee’s cell phone rang.

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
‘We’ve easily broken through the Duellist Kingdom computer system.’ A grid appeared over the image of the island.

‘Too easy,’ Kaiba said. ‘O-kay. When it comes to computer duels, Pegasus has met his match. Now, it should be a piece of cake to find the field in which Yugi is duelling.’

The loading bar appeared. ‘I’m looking, I’m looking!’ A symbol popped up. ‘Access denied?’

Kaiba was out of his chair and on his feet. ‘What did you do wrong?’

‘Don’t blame me! I finally found the security and it’s all around Yugi’s data.’

Kaiba groaned and sat back down. ‘I should’ve known.’ He smirked. ‘Fine by me. Pegasus, go ahead and give it your best shot. There isn’t a computer system anywhere on Earth that I can’t break into. Here’s the thing. Every computer has a back door if you know where to look. And guess where we’re gonna look?’

‘Beats me.’

‘It’ll be quicker if I take over on manual for a while.’ Kaiba started hitting the keys. Three images appeared and lines connected them. The first was of Duellist Kingdom, the second of a satellite and the third of a corporate building. ‘Data from the duels is being beamed from the island to an orbiting Industrial Illusions satellite and back down to their mainframe. These transmissions are obviously highly encrypted. If we can somehow force the Industrial Illusions computer off-line, I’m sure their back-up systems won’t have as much security.’

‘Are you saying we can make their computer crash? From here? But how?’

‘A computer crash is exactly what I had in mind,’ Kaiba said. ‘The biggest computer crash ever. And I’m going to use Pegasus’s own satellite to do it.’

‘But I’ve already tried to hack into their systems.’

Kaiba smirked. ‘My idea’s different. Once the security is down, we should be able to freely access the data. Be ready with a search for the Dark Magician.’  
‘Gotcha.’ An image of the Dark Magician appeared on the screen. ‘Dark Magician in core loaded and standing by.’

‘Good,’ Kaiba said. ‘If Yugi’s duelling, he’s sure to use that card.’

‘So spill it already. How are we going to use Industrial Illusions own satellite to bring down their computer?’

‘By bringing down the satellite itself. Down all the way!’

The computer image of the satellite enlarged and x-rayed. ‘Loading satellite schematics. M-Class Triton Series. Booster Rocket controls online. Locating orbital coordinates. Breaching onboard computer security. You are now the proud owner of an Industrial Illusions satellite.’

‘Great,’ Kaiba said. ‘Now plot a crash course for the computer mainframe.’

‘Uploading new coordinates now.’ The image of the mainframe appeared. ‘We are locked on-target for the computer.’

Kaiba smirked. ‘Virus software won’t stop this. Pegasus, you’re on notice that the Kaiba Corporation’s still mine.’

‘Satellite impact in ten seconds.’

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
For a second, Shamee chuckling caught his attention. Clearly whoever had called her on Sharee’s cell phone had told her something interesting and amusing.

But “Kaiba” chuckled too. ‘I won’t attack just yet. Why rush to victory when I can draw it out as long as possible instead?’ He laid one card face down.

 _There’s more to it than that. He’s hiding some sort of magic card, I know it!_ Yami turned the card. ‘Dark Magician, go to defensive mode.’ The monster changed position. He pulled out another card. ‘And I summon Curse of Dragon, on the defence as well.’ The other monster appeared.

‘Smart playing, Yugi,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘Unfortunately, it wasn’t smart enough.’ He flipped up his face-down card. ‘You played right into my hand. Defence Paralysis!’

Rat rot! ‘A trap!’ Both of his monsters were moved.

“Kaiba” smirked. ‘Hm. Now all your monsters on the field have been switched into attack mode.’

‘What?’ cried his friends.

‘Yugi!’ Mokuba called.

_While that defence paralysis is on the field, my monsters can’t defend themselves. I’ve got to think of a way out._

“Kaiba” barked out a laugh. ‘It’s time! Blue Eyes, use your White Lightning!’

The Blue Eyes opened its mouth and let the attack stream forth. It hit the Curse of Dragon, completely destroying it. Yami growled as he raised his arm, shielding his eyes.

‘Well, so much for your Curse of Dragon,’ “Kaiba” gloated.

‘Yugi!’

Yami’s life points dropped down to a thousand. Shamee said something else into the phone and then hung up.

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
The door on the computer screen closed.

‘No Dark Magician there,’ Kaiba said. ‘Next field.’

‘We’ve exhausted almost every possibility of locating Yugi Moto.’ The screen stopped at the next door. ‘Field 146 is the final active duel.’

‘Then…he’s gotta be there,’ Kaiba said. ‘Search field 146.’

‘You got it.’ The screen moved forward but froze and fuzzed up.

‘What’s that?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘Looks like I crashed.’

‘Reboot.’

The screen dimmed down and then lit up again. ‘Back online.’

‘Enter field 146.’

The screen went forward but it happened once more. ‘I’m frozen again.’

‘Huh?’

‘It’s worse this time.’

Kaiba figured it out. ‘Hang on. Watch this.’ He started typing away. The Dark Magician appeared on the screen in front of him and an “X” flashed over it. ‘Gotcha. Just as I thought. So, a virus. A good one. That means just one thing. Searching for Yugi’s cards activates the virus. Yugi’s inside. Get ready to go in.’

‘But the security door…uh oh.’

‘What?’

‘I think you better take a look yourself. We’re getting an unidentified conference call that’s bouncing off several relays around the world.’

‘What?’ Kaiba was on his feet.

‘It’s coming in and whoever’s sending it knows precisely how to dodge around defences.’

Kaiba sat back down. May as well work out who it is. ‘Open the channel.’

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
Yami liked it even less and less when that guy smirked. _How can I defeat his Blue Eyes White Dragon?_

Kimo laughed. ‘Yugi, you gotta admit, for a stiff this Kaiba’s sure got game!’

‘That’s not my brother!’ Mokuba yelled. ‘There’s just no way!’

That sense of surety…Yami had a feeling he’d seen it before. You knew someone that well that you could tell an impostor just by looking at him. As a matter of fact, Yami thought he’d felt it before.

‘Yugi, you know that’s not him! Everyone thinks he’s a bad guy but I know my brother and he’s not mean like this. He’s my best friend in the whole world. That thing’s not him! You just gotta believe me!’ There tears in his eyes.

Yami did believe him but he could hear Yugi wasn’t so certain. He wanted to be, but he wasn’t, but… _One thing I do know for sure, this duel’s not over yet!_ Yami took the necessary card and laid it down. ‘Magical hats, conceal the Dark Magician!’ The Hats appeared and the Magician disappeared.

“Kaiba” looked startled.

‘He’s under there somewhere,’ Yami said. ‘Which one?’

“Kaiba” smirked. ‘Are you so desperate that you have your Dark Magician doing simple hat tricks?’

‘It’s not a trick,’ Yami said. ‘And it’s not so simple. Your move, but you better think twice before you choose. Four hats, only twenty five per cent chance you’ll find the Dark Magician. The real question is: what else is hiding beneath those hats!’

‘Way to go, Yugi!’ Joey called. ‘Now that’s what I like to call pulling one outta your hat!’

Mokuba gasped. ‘All right!’

“Kaiba” closed his eyes. ‘Hm. So predictable. I know where the Dark Magician hides.’

‘If you’re so sure, then move,’ Yugi said.

‘It’s a shame this duel has to end so soon. White Lightning!’

Yami watched anxiously. _If he attacks the right hat, I’ll lose more than just this duel. Much more!_


	10. Give Up The Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently...Sharee has a sister.

The White Lightning hit the hat on the far left. Nothing was inside. Yami smirked. Good. This was going well.

‘No!’ “Kaiba” cried. ‘That hat was empty!’

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘This could work!’

‘It’s gotta work,’ Téa said.

‘Yugi’ll beat that faker!’ Mokuba insisted.

‘Your guess was wrong. Guess wrong again and it’ll cost you.’ Yugi laid a card down.

‘Huh?’ “Kaiba” asked.

‘There are still three Magical Hats on the field and one of them hides a special surprise just for you,’ Yami said. ‘If you destroy the hat that hides my Dark Magician, you’ll win this duel. Chose the empty one and it’s my turn again. But I’m betting you’ll pick that hat that contains the trap card that I just put into play.’

‘A trap card?’ “Kaiba” demanded.

‘Now! Which hat will it be?’

‘You’re taking a big gamble, Yugi!’ Joey called.

‘If he guesses right, it’s over!’ Tristan added.

“Kaiba” glared. ‘Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack the middle hat!’

The Blue Eyes shot the attack. ‘Heh!’ Yami smirked wider. ‘Well, now, you’ve done it! Activated my trap card, that is. Spell Binding Circle!’ The Circle appeared first on the ground and then it shot over and encircled the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

“Kaiba” glared hatefully.

‘A Blue Eyes White Dragon is normally unstoppable,’ Yami said. ‘But once drained of its energy by the Spell Binding Circle…’ The Blue Eyes’s attack points dropped to 2300. ‘…it’s no match for the full power of my Dark Magician!’ The Dark Magician emerged from the remaining hat on the left. He raised his staff and destroyed it. ‘And that puts an end to your Blue Eyes White Dragon.’

“Kaiba”’s life points dropped down to 500.

‘Way to go, Yugi!’ Mokuba cheered.

A streak of White Lightning suddenly shot forward and destroyed the Dark Magician. Yami flinched away from the light. His life points dropped down to five hundred. Below him, his friends made sounds of surprise. They hadn’t seen that coming.

‘Another one?’ Tristan demanded.

“Kaiba” laughed. ‘And that puts an end to your Dark Magician. There are only three Blue Eyes White Dragon cards in the world and they’re all in my deck. Your grandpa had the fourth but I ripped it up.’

Yami’s eyes narrowed, a reaction to Yugi’s emotions.

‘But how could I know that if I’m not really Seto Kaiba? You know I couldn’t believe it when you beat all three of my Blue Eyes White Dragons with Exodia, but now without that monster in your deck, there’s absolutely no way you can win. Your move.’

‘Everyone heard about your duel with Seto,’ Mokuba insisted. ‘That’s how this loser knows about it! That’s not my brother, Yugi. I’m sure!’

Yami nodded. So was he. Turning his attention back to the impostor, Yami focused on this. He needed a way to turn this around and then a third way.

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
Kaiba stared at the image in front of him. It was a girl with long red hair and blue eyes. She was dressed casually, but sitting in an office or a study. There was someone she reminded him of.

‘Who are you?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘Shauna Pertinicle,’ she said. ‘I’m Sharee’s twin sister and she asked me to track you down.’

Kaiba remembered Sharee. She was Yugi’s American friend, the one who stood there watching duels passively. Clearly, she kept a lot of what she wanted to say to herself, unlike the others.

‘Why?’ he asked.

Shauna turned to her monitor. ‘Hang on. I’ve already got access to Yugi’s duel. If we connect our computers, as against that idea as you’ll be, it’ll be much faster than hacking in.’  
Kaiba was against the idea but he also knew she was right. Hacking in would take more time than connecting their computers would.

The interface began loading. ‘Connection received and secured. Origin: New Haven House, Connecticut State of Northern America.’

Shauna looked up. ‘And the bit you’ll find most interesting is the name of Yugi’s opponent.’

‘What?’ Kaiba saw his own name on the screen. He twisted around to face Shauna. ‘Is this your idea of a joke?’

‘I’m more for dry humour.’ She proved it with that statement. ‘You’ve got yourself an impostor, who claims to be your ghost. That was why Sharee had me track you down and then contact you. First she wanted confirmation that you were still alive and now she wants to see if we can shut this guy down from here. She said you don’t want to lose your company and we don’t want to lose Yugi. The only reason he’s even duelling in this thing is because his grandpa was kidnapped.’

That made sense. Kaiba didn’t like to admit it, but she had a point. They’d have to team up whether they wanted to or not. He growled to himself as she reported the rest with a disgruntled expression.

‘Sharee thought early on that Pegasus had taken off with your deck and she must’ve been right. Both are sitting at 500 life points and your impostor has his second Blue Eyes out. Yugi defeated the first one with a combination of the Dark Magician, Magical Hats and the Spell Binding Circle, then the second one blew the Magician away. It’s Yugi’s move.’

‘But without…’ Kaiba stumbled. ‘…Exodia, Yugi can’t win. He has no other card left in his deck that can beat the Blue Eyes White Dragon, let alone two of them.’

Shauna’s eyes narrowed. ‘Then if you want to keep your company, we better think of something fast.’

Kaiba looked at her. ‘Fast…yes. Are you familiar with the process of loading viruses into Duel Monsters?’

Shauna’s eyebrows rose. ‘I’ve heard the theory but I’ve never seen the need nor the opportunity to try it.’

‘Yugi will lose on the next attack from the Blue Eyes White Dragon unless we decrease its power from here,’ Kaiba said.

Shauna looked thoughtful and then started typing. ‘How’s this?’

Kaiba received the inactive virus as Shauna built it up. She was good. Nearly as good as him. If she was Sharee’s contact – the one she called every time she needed to know something – then it was understandable how the girl moved so fast.

‘Upload this virus into the monster’s holo-computer,’ Kaiba ordered his machine. ‘That Dragon is about to get sick – real sick.’

‘Standing by.’ An image of the Blue Eyes appeared. ‘But shouldn’t we first wait to see Yugi’s next move?’

‘No time!’ Shauna insisted. The girl had her priorities in order.

‘We can’t afford to risk Yugi loosing the duel,’ Kaiba said. ‘Upload.’

The computer began injecting the virus. ‘Viral injection underway.’

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
 _I don’t have any monsters that can withstand his Blue Eyes White Dragon._ Yami shut his eyes. _This could be it._

‘This duel is over, Yugi,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘I’m sure we’ll be hearing the fat lady sing right after your turn. I still have Defence Paralysis active, so whichever monster you pick won’t be able to defend itself.’

‘I choose the Feral Imp in attack mode.’ Yami laid the card down and the monster appeared.

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
‘I wish Yugi waited a few more seconds before moving,’ Kaiba said. ‘Isn’t there anything you can do to get that computer virus uploaded faster?’

‘This is as fast as it goes,’ Shauna insisted as she turned and started working something on her knee.

The numbers climbed. ‘We’re already halfway there. Viral implant now at sixty per cent. But it doesn’t seem to be working. The Blue Eyes White Dragon is still showing no signs of weakness.’

‘Something is wrong,’ Kaiba said.

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
“Kaiba” sniggered. ‘This is almost too easy.’

‘Yugi!’ Téa called from below.

‘Hang on!’ Tristan turned. ‘Yugi can still win this.’

‘Don’t forget,’ Joey said. ‘He beat Kaiba last time.’

‘And this time…’ Shamee finally spoke. Yami saw, out of the corner of her eye, she was holding her cell phone, looking at the screen. ‘…he’s got an ally they’re not expecting.’  
Yami briefly wondered what she meant as the rest of them down there twisted around and looked at her.

‘It’s time, Blue Eyes White Dragon,’ “Kaiba” said. ‘Attack!’

Yami drew back but only for a second. ‘Huh?’ Something was happening to the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Lights were shooting out of it and it was beginning to shake. The image of it distorted.

‘What are you waiting for?’ “Kaiba” demanded. ‘Attack!’

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
The image on the computer screen showed the Blue Eyes nearly full. ‘The virus is taking effect. Blue Eyes White Dragon’s attack power is beginning to drop.’

‘But it’s still too strong!’ Kaiba insisted, watching the numbers go down. ‘It has to get weaker or it’ll still beat Yugi!’

On the side monitor, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, Shauna’s jaw clenched. She didn’t want Yugi to lose either, for a totally different reason than him.

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
Yami watched the numbers go down, the Blue Eyes White Dragon got weaker and weaker. ‘What…I don’t believe it!’

Neither did “Kaiba”. He threw himself forward. ‘What’s going on? My Blue Eyes White Dragon!’

Yami looked down. Shamee was the only one who didn’t look confused. Instead, she was smirking. She saw him looking and scratched the back of her neck. ‘It appears to have gotten a virus.’

‘…Virus?’ Yami asked. She must’ve gotten a message on her cell phone. That was the only way that she would understand what was going on. Yami looked back at the degenerating Dragon. Now it was beginning to melt.

Yami heard only one voice beside that. ‘This is Kimo to Pegasus. I hope you’re watching, sir, because we got a real problem out here.’

Yes, he was watching.

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
‘The Blue Eye White Dragon’s attack power is dropping rapidly,’ the computer reported. ‘The virus implant is successfully disabling the monster completely.’

‘All right.’ Kaiba raised his hand to the headpiece. ‘Now let’s get to work on Dragon number three.’

‘Uh-uh!’ Shauna called. ‘You’re getting hacked!’

‘What?’ Kaiba glanced to the side.

Suddenly his computer shut down and contact with Shauna was lost.

‘What’s the matter?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘She was right! We’ve been locked out by a remote terminal. Looks like we’ve been hacked! Shauna got cut off because of a very sophisticated set of firewalls. You might want to talk to her about getting some of those. They keep out intruders, sending all levels of hackers a software-eating virus and all connection is cut if she has one with another computer that gets hacked.’

Kaiba registered in the back of his mind that he did need to find out how she had firewalls like that. But, he was more focused on the series of ridiculous-looking cartoon rabbits that appeared and started chanting “hey, Kaiba”. ‘It’s Pegasus.’

But his computer managed to reboot. They didn’t bother trying to re-establish contact with Shauna. ‘Blue Eyes White Dragon attack power is holding at 2000.’

‘But this should have worked!’ Kaiba insisted.

‘The Blue Eyes is launching its attack.’

‘No!’ This couldn’t happen!

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
Yami knew he had a real problem when the deterioration stopped. That meant whatever the virus was, it had stopped working. Shamee cried out in denial as she looked at Sharee’s cell phone again.

‘Now, Blue Eyes White Dragon, time to obliterate them!’ “Kaiba” yelled.

Yami drew back. The Blue Eye began to shoot it White Lightning attack.

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
Kaiba couldn’t let this happen. He just couldn’t. He loved his Blue Eyes White Dragons, yes. Just as much as he loved his brother but if they won…they would all lose everything. He would make this work! Kaiba slammed his fists down.

‘Yugi!’

**Duellist Kingdom**   
_‘Yugi!’_

The Millennium Eye glowed on Yami’s head as he heard the call. ‘Kaiba?’ The attack in front of him suddenly cut off, leaving his Feral Imp unharmed. ‘It stopped. The Dragon…’ It really did look terrible to Yami’s eyes, melting with chunks of it falling off and the last of its attack dying in its mouth. It vanished in a bright flash.

The pieces all came together in Yami’s head.

“Kaiba” started in disbelief. ‘This can’t be.’

Joey, Téa, Tristan and Mokuba stared in relieved awe. Shamee looked a bit like she was coming down from a heart attack. Her cell phone rang and she fumbled for it. From the looks of it, that had rattled even her.

‘It’s a trick!’ Kimo insisted.

Shamee answered the phone. ‘Yeah? It came apart. It’s gone.’ She composed herself. ‘Yeah, what happened? Cut off? Rat rot. He’ll think of something. Thanks, Shauna.’

 **Kaiba Mansion**  
On the screen, the image of the Blue Eyes was gone. ‘The Blue Eyes White Dragon is destroyed, but the virus was not responsible.’

‘Then how?’ Kaiba demanded. ‘Did Yugi Moto somehow do this?’

‘How could he? It is your deck.’

 _‘…if you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can’t do.’_ He’d believed that he could do it, no matter how it looked, and it worked. That meant…‘It’s the Heart of the Cards. Yugi was right.’

Suddenly the door behind him beeped with an alert. Of all the lousy timing!

 **Duellist Kingdom**  
‘Why?’ “Kaiba” bellowed. ‘Why me?’

‘Why?’ Yami repeated rhetorically. ‘Because Kaiba’s still alive. He stopped you.’

‘Silence!’ “Kaiba” yelled. ‘I am Kaiba!’

‘Enough!’ Yami barked. ‘Your charade is over!’

‘My brother is alive!’ Mokuba cheered.

‘What’s going on?’ Téa asked.

‘It’s like Yugi said,’ Mokuba answered. ‘Last time Yugi duelled my brother, he showed Seto the Heart of the Cards. This faker may have taken his deck but the real Seto Kaiba’s alive and well.’

‘Impostor! The real Seto Kaiba destroyed that monster. I know because I sensed him calling out to me when it happened.’ Yami pointed an accusing finger at him. ‘Now, enough of your lies. We know you’re not Kaiba. It’s time for you to show us who you really are.’

‘I told you. I am Kaiba.’ He laughed and then seemed to start breaking out of his skin, swelling and rippling. ‘Or at least I’m part of him – the darkest part.’

Yami drew back. Now he was facing a fat pink-haired…well, he wasn’t sure what to call him. Whatever he was, he laughed. ‘I can see you don’t recognise me, Yugi. I wasn’t lying when I told you I was Seto Kaiba – the evil part of him that you sent to the Shadow Realm after our last duel. But now I’m back, thanks to Pegasus.’ He cackled in laughter.

‘You’re not a part of my brother anymore!’ Mokuba yelled.

Téa cringed. ‘Ew! It’s hideous!’

‘I always thought that this duel just might turn ugly,’ Joey stated. ‘But I never thought that ugly!’ He gave it a thumb’s down.

Mokuba, as was typical for a boy his age, was goading his brother’s evil side. ‘Hey, Ugly! If I were you, I’d start worrying about what my big brother’s going to do to you when he finally catches up to you!’

‘I guess I just don’t know what to call you,’ Yami said. ‘I was thinking about “monster”, but I didn’t want to insult the cards.’

The evil side smirked.

‘It’s your move.’ Yami narrowed his eyes. ‘You’ve got a whole deck to go through and only one Blue Eyes White Dragon left.’

The evil side of Kaiba drew a card. ‘Grappler in defence mode.’ He laughed as he laid the card down and the monster appeared.

 _He’s just biding his time until he draws his last Blue Eyes._ ‘It’s my turn.’ Yami had the Celtic Guardian in his hand. _I’d play this card in defence mode but he’s still got his Defence Paralysis card in play. So I can only attack. And with no defence, if he draws the Blue Eyes White Dragon card I’m finished._ ‘I’ll set one card face down on the field and draw the Celtic Guardian as well in attack mode.’ Yami did exactly as he said. The Celtic Guardian shot forward and cut into the other monster. ‘Your Grappler split.’

‘Ah. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Next up is Mystic Horseman in defence mode, and I’ll lay one of my cards face down just like you.’ The monster materialised.

 _Face down? Is it a magic card? Or is he setting a trap?_ Yami drew. ‘Again, I’ll lay a card face-down. And I’ll use the Mystical Elf in attack mode. Plus, this Book of Secret Arts will raise its attack and defence power by three hundred points!’ The Mystic Elf appeared on the playing field and began chanting as its points went up. ‘My turn is over.’

Kaiba’s evil side waved his finger. ‘Patience, Yugi, for it will soon be all over.’ He drew and scrutinised him over his hand.

From below, Joey began speaking. ‘I find it hard to believe, but I’m likin’ the look on that guy’s face even less than I did before.’

‘Wipe that smile off his face, Yugi!’ Téa called.

‘Loser!’ Mokuba yelled at the evil side. ‘Make your move!’

The evil side laughed. ‘As you wish.’ He drew and grinned widely. ‘Oh, prepare…’

Rat rot!

‘…for the Blue Eyes White Dragon!’ The monster appeared on the field.

‘Yugi!’ Joey yelled.

‘Don’t worry, Yugi!’ Mokuba called. ‘My brother will help out just like last time!’

‘Dream on!’ Kimo scoffed.

‘Huh?’ Mokuba asked.

Kimo went to say it but Shamee beat him to it. ‘They worked out where he was.’

‘How do you know that?’ Téa asked.

‘Same way I knew what was wrong with the last Blue Eyes,’ Shamee said. ‘I’ve got sources.’

‘So this means Kaiba is alive?’ Tristan asked.

‘You think maybe a Duel Monster got a virus by itself?’ Shamee asked.

‘Dimwits,’ Kimo said. ‘It means don’t expect another miracle, cause this duel’s about to end.’

‘Oh, no!’ Mokuba cried.

Good thing Yami had this plan cooked up. The Blue Eyes roared and the evil side of Kaiba laughed. ‘Such a good Dragon! Wouldn’t you say, Yugi? This duel’s about to end, now. Go, White Lightning attack!’ The Blue Eyes shot the attack.

Yami narrowed his eyes. ‘This duel’s not over yet.’ He held up his trap card. ‘Activate Mirror Force now!’ The attack, which had been aimed at the Mystical Elf, stopped dead in its tracks.

‘Whoa! He’s turned over a trap card!’

‘And Mirror Force reflects your attack right back at you!’ The attack shot back at the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

‘Pretty good trick, but I’m ready with one of my own. I’ll use Negate Attack.’ He flipped the card up. The attack disappeared into little vortexes before they hit the Blue Eyes.

Yami tensed. _He had a magic card waiting just in case!_

‘Negate Attack neutralises any attack thrown at me, even if its one of my own.’

‘Yugi!’ Téa called.

Yami chuckled. ‘It’s time to finish this duel…’ He held up a card. ‘…with Reborn the Monster.’

‘Oh, no! That allows you to revive any monster lost in this duel from either deck!’

‘I’m glad you know the rules,’ Yami said. ‘Now, guess which card I want. Be reborn, Blue Eyes White Dragon!’ The beast appeared on the field between Yami’s Celtic Guardian and Mystical Elf.

The evil side of Kaiba smirked. ‘Fat lotta good that move’s gonna do you, Yugi. Both of these monsters are evenly matched.’

Yami smirked. ‘Their powers are not the same.’

The evil side cried out in surprise.

‘You forgot about my Mystical Elf,’ Yami said. ‘She’s been chanting a spell since I put her on the field. It allows the Mystical Elf to transfer her attack power to any other monster I choose.’

‘What?’ he demanded. ‘This can’t be!’

‘This move was inspired by Seto Kaiba himself,’ Yami stated. ‘He showed me that you can alter the power of a Blue Eyes White Dragon, but I’m raising the power of mine…’ The Dragon’s attack power went up to 4100. ‘…instead of lowering it like Kaiba did to yours.’

‘This can’t be happening!’ He covered his face. ‘Oh, no! No!’

‘Consider this a message from the real Seto Kaiba: you lose! Now, Blue Eyes, obliterate!’ His Blue Eyes White Dragon opened its mouth and let the White Lightning shoot out into its counterpart, destroying it and dropping the evil side’s life points to zero. Yami felt the power, the level of which he had not felt for far too long, and the burning of the Millennium Eye on his forehead. ‘Pegasus may have helped you escape the Shadow Realm before but it won’t happen again!’ He extended his hand. ‘Never again!’

The evil side of Kaiba screamed as he was banished back to the Shadow Realm, deep enough that not even Pegasus’s power could pull him out.

Yami could still feel the power coursing through him and that wasn’t all he could feel either. ‘Pegasus, I sense that you’re watching. Consider this a warning: nothing you send against me will stop me. And when we finally duel, believe me, victory will be mine. I’ll win back my grandfather’s soul and you will pay for all the people you’ve hurt in the name of your sick little game. I’m coming for you, Pegasus.’

And for good measure, he made sure the wine glass, that he knew was in Pegasus’s hand, shattered.

***

Shamee watched as, after the duel, Yami went over and picked up Kaiba’s deck. She smiled and looked around. That was when she noticed it. She looked around quickly and then used her extra sense.

‘That ghost is toast, huh, Yugi?’ Joey called.

‘I knew that the real Kaiba was alive the whole time,’ Tristan insisted.

‘Yugi!’ Shamee called, heading over to him as he came down.

‘Hm?’ He looked down at her.

‘I think Kimo took off with Mokuba.’

‘What?’ Joey, Tristan and Téa yelled.

The lot of them looked around. There was no sign of the kid anywhere.

‘He’s gone,’ Yami said. ‘Taken again!’

‘Oh, no!’ Tristan groaned.

Joey and Téa started calling out for him.


	11. The Duelling Monkey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly! Sharee can't leave these guys alone for a minute.

‘Mokuba!’ Yugi called as he searched for the boy. ‘Mokuba!’

‘This is no time to be playing hide and seek, kid!’ Joey yelled.

‘Those thugs must’ve snatched him back to Pegasus’s castle!’ Tristan insisted as they all met up again.

‘So now they’ve got your grandpa and Kaiba’s little brother too?’ Téa asked Yugi. They all turned and looked at the castle.

‘Looks that way,’ Joey said.

‘It’s just another reason for us to win those ten star chips and get in there,’ Yugi said.

‘No doubt.’ Joey turned his head. ‘Whoa!’ There was a bunch of duelling card dropped on the ground. Joey knelt down. ‘It’s my lucky day!’

‘Hands off,’ Tristan said. ‘Those are mine.’

‘Cool, Tristan!’ Yugi turned around as the brunet knelt down to pick them up. ‘I didn’t know you were training to become a duellist.’

Joey picked up one card. Tristan snatched it and grinned with a blush. ‘Yeah, well, I figured if a doofus like Joey can hold his own in this game then, hey, I’ll probably be an expert at it.’

Sharee laughed. ‘I guess all of us are duellists then.’ She scratched the side of her nose.

‘You got a duelling deck too?’ Téa asked. ‘I thought Pegasus just wanted you for the Bandanna.’

‘He does.’ Sharee raised her jacket enough so they could see the duelling deck holder that was attached to her belt. ‘But it’d look beyond weird if he invited me here and I didn’t even duel, wouldn’t it?’

Yugi had to agree with that one.

‘Whoa.’ Joey looked down at one of the cards that was sitting there. ‘I recognise that monster.’ He picked it up.

Yugi looked. ‘Haven’t I seen that card in your deck, Joey?’

Joey stood up. ‘Not this one, but I think I got something just like it.’ He pulled out his own duelling deck and flicked through it until he found what he was looking for. ‘Bingo! Swamp Battle Guard!’ He showed Tristan. ‘Well, would you take a look at this. These two look like they’re long lost brothers.’ He grinned. ‘Of course, that doesn’t mean your boy packs the same kind of wallop mine does.’

Tristan got offended. ‘His wallop is just fine!’

‘Let me look at those.’ Sharee took the cards out of Joey’s hands and compared the two together. ‘Yeah, that’s what I thought. Combo.’

‘What?’ Joey asked.

‘A few Duel Monsters work better as a tag team.’ Sharee turned the cards around. ‘Swamp Battle Guard and Lava Battle Guard are one such combo.’

‘Really?’ Tristan asked. ‘Well, then, maybe Joey should try it out.’

‘Thanks.’ Joey said as Sharee handed him back the cards. ‘It does say work best, together.’

‘You know what?’ Téa smirked. ‘I think I kinda see a resemblance between you two and those muscle-heads.’

Yugi, Téa and Sharee started laughing.

Joey waved his arm at them. ‘Laugh it up! I take that as a compliment!’

Sharee was the first to stop laughing. ‘Okay…okay, I’m gonna go see if I can find us some supper, you know if Joey’s going to be duelling again.’

***

Sharee unfortunately couldn’t find much. Either Pegasus didn’t like someone else taking his stock or he didn’t have very much out here. Didn’t the guy realise that people needed to eat?

 _ **The guy takes peoples’ souls to get his own way, for the love of Ra, Sharee. He doesn’t care. You ought to know that.**_  
 _Ought to, yes._ Sharee frowned and discarded another empty trap. _What’s he really after anyway?_

In her mind’s eye, Sharee saw Shamee scratch her head. _**I don’t know. The one time we saw him…his actions were completely contradictory of what’s in his heart.**_

_He has a heart?_

Shamee snorted in amusement. _**One easily broken.**_

Sharee mentally turned and looked at the ancient. _Then why the hell is he doing this?_

_**Could be the Millennium Eye. The Items have the power to take your emotions and exaggerate them, if you will. It all depends, really.** _

_I thought you didn’t remember that._

_**I didn’t…not before that woman showed up in the Shadow Realm.** _

_The one with the kid?_

_**That’s her. Remember what she did?** _

 

Sharee stopped moving. _She tapped Yami’s forehead. What did she do that for?_

_**I’m not sure how, but she unsurfaced all the knowledge he had on the Millennium Items and then he resurfaced my memories of them.** _

_Oh._ Sharee continued walking. _So, if that’s the case, why were they even created in the first place?_

Shamee sighed heavily. _**For justice. They were used by the Royal Court to look into your heart, soul and mind to judge your guilt.**_

 _And, over time, their purpose has been twisted._ Sharee started heading back to where her friends were. _How did you and Yami end up inside the Puzzle and the Bandanna then?_

_**Your guess is as good as ours. It probably has something to do with whatever buried out memories.** _

Sharee considered that. _You think maybe those two spirits in the Shadow Realm know?_

_**They could, but when we saw them we didn’t exactly have time for talking about that, did we?** _

Sharee came into the clearing and groaned. As she walked over to Téa and looked up at the duel, she said, ‘This is developing into a habit.’ Sharee looked at them and was a bit surprised to see Mai standing on the other side. ‘What gives?’

‘Rex challenged Joey to a duel,’ Téa said. ‘Mai showed up with him and barred Yugi from giving advice for the duration.’

Mai was watching them. Sharee smirked. ‘Oh, I see! This is your way of getting even.’ She laughed. ‘It won’t work. Joey’s defeat of you had nothing to do with who the better duellist was.’ She tapped her nose. ‘It was who the better person was.’ She looked at Téa. ‘So where are Yugi and Tristan?’

‘They wandered off somewhere,’ Téa said.

At that moment, Rex called for his monster to attack Joey’s Flame Swordsman. Sharee pressed her face into her hand and began chuckling through her nose. As soon as Mai saw what was going on she yelled, ‘Rex, you big dino-dummy!’

‘Flaming Sword of Battle!’ Joey ordered.

The Swordsman’s blade lit up with fire.

‘Wha…?’ Rex drew back.

The flame shot out and the Swordsman sliced the dinosaur. Both duellists gritted their teeth. The dinosaur was consumed by fire and was destroyed. Joey and Rex then both drew back in surprise.

‘Tell me how a swordsman can beat a dinosaur!’ Rex insisted as his life points dropped to 1330.

‘I actually won that?’ Joey asked.

‘Oh, yeah!’ Sharee crowed. ‘Dinosaur cards are especially vulnerable to fire!’ Mai glared at her. Sharee shrugged. ‘You said Yugi couldn’t say anything. You didn’t say anything about me.’

Joey sniggered. ‘I think I just found the secret to beating your dinos. Hope you’re not too saur about it. Get it? Saur? Dino? Dinosaur?’

Rex growled and laid another dinosaur in defence mode. ‘Sword Arm of Dragon!’

‘Want some?’ Joey demanded. ‘Come and get it, buddy!’

The Flame Swordsman cut down dinosaur after dinosaur after dinosaur. Sharee half-wondered how this guy got through the Regional Championships if he kept throwing those cards out against this thing.

‘Yeah!’ Téa cheered. ‘I knew you were going to make a come-back, Joey!’

‘This is far from over, you know,’ Rex said. ‘One card won’t win this for you.’

‘All righty then. I’ll just bring out another for you.’ Joey laid the card down. ‘Swamp Battle Guard.’

‘Big deal! I have a beast that will wipe that smirk off your face permanently.’ Rex drew and smirked. ‘All right!’ He played the card he’d just drawn. ‘Meet the top link of the food chain! Serpent Knight Dragon! This rare card’s awarded to the elite few who’ve made it to the final round of the Regional Championships. But for a loser like you, it should be an honour just to get thrashed by it! Nightmare Sonic Blast!’

The sonic blasts went down and in the next few moments, the Flame Swordsman was destroyed. Joey frowned. ‘He was my best card.’

Tea stared up. ‘Oh, poor Joey.’

Sharee watched him draw and stare. She knew, just from that, that he’d drawn the Lava Battle Guard. He stared down, muttering to himself. She was so busy focusing on what he was saying that she nearly never heard Yugi and Tristan coming up behind them. She turned.

‘Yo, Joey!’ Tristan called.

Joey looked down at them.

‘We’re here for you, buddy!’ Tristan called. ‘So how about it, you gonna take that card of mine for a test drive or what?’

Sharee was almost startled at how good of friends those two were. Even if they were always fighting each other. She, Téa and Yugi grinned at each other.

Joey grinned. ‘You got it, pal!’ He threw the card down. ‘Go, Lava Battle Guard!’ The monster appeared on the field right next to the Swamp Battle Guard.

‘Cool,’ Tristan said. ‘My card’s on the field.’

‘Oh, what a touching reunion!’ Rex yelled sarcastically. ‘Too bad my Serpent Knight Dragon is gonna blast it to shreds. Now, attack the green one!’

The Dragon began to shoot the sonic blasts again. Sharee smirked. _He actually thinks that’ll work._

_**Puh-leez! Oh, I sound like you.** _

Sharee suppressed a chuckle. But she didn’t have to because a moment later the sonic blasts shot right back at the Dragon. Only she and Yugi weren’t surprised at what they were seeing.

‘What?’ Rex demanded. ‘My sonic blasts are being deflected!’ The dragon was destroyed by its own attack. ‘How was my Dragon’s attack repelled? There aren’t any trap cards out.’

‘Look at the field, Einstein!’ Sharee called as her friends cheered.

‘Oh, I get it,’ Tristan said as he took in what had happened. ‘The red on blocked for the green one.’ There was still smoke coming off the Lava Battle Guard’s club.

‘Tristan’s card was there right when I needed it most,’ Joey said.

‘Of course,’ Yugi said. ‘Those two monsters are like best friends, so when they’re together on the field they help power each other up.’ He looked up. ‘Just like how you and Joey help each other out in real life, huh, Tristan?’

‘That’s what being a buddy is all about,’ Tristan said.

‘Thanks for everything, man,’ Joey called down. ‘I owe you.’

Tristan gave him a thumbs up.

‘What a team!’ Yugi remarked. ‘Not only did you take out Rex’s monster, but you made a nice dent in his life points too.’

Sure enough, Rex’s life points dropped down to 840. He growled in annoyance.

‘Right!’ Joey exclaimed. ‘And now that we’re together again…’

‘…There’s not a monster Rex has that could stop us!’ Tristan finished the sentence.

Sharee didn’t like that smirk on Rex’s face.


	12. Trial by Red Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex pulls out his ultimate dragon...and ultimately pays for it.

‘Your horned freaks may have won control of the field,’ Rex laid a card face-down, ‘but now it’s time to see if you can hold it. Dragonon!’

‘Battle Guard!’ Joey called. ‘Give that card a bashing!’ The Lava Battle Guard shot forward and slammed its club into the monster, destroying it.

‘Whoa!’ Tristan said, awed at the two Duel Monsters. ‘Look at ‘em glow! Those guys are some kinda tag team.’

Yugi could barely believe he was seeing this. ‘Wow! You’re right about that. The power bonus they gain from both being on the field at the same time makes them a tough duo to beat.’

‘No joke!’ Tristan agreed. ‘And since Joey’s already taken out Rex’s best monster card, the rest will be cake! Finish ‘em, bro!’

Yugi noticed Sharee looking a bit worried as Joey nodded. He soon saw why too.

Rex barked out a laugh. ‘Who said that Serpent Knight Dragon Joey destroyed two turns ago was my best card?’ He drew and sneered. ‘My supreme monster is a dragon but of a different sort.’ He threw the card down. ‘The Red Eyes Black Dragon!’

Sharee gritted her teeth and drew back, even though she was nowhere near it. Everyone else gasped in shock, even Mai.

‘A what Dragon?’ Mai asked.

The Red Eyes Black Dragon took form on the battlefield. Rex smirked. ‘Your pair of primates can power up until they’re green in the face. They’re still no match for the thrashing power of this beast.’

Joey visibly tensed. Tristan and Téa watched, worried, but Yugi and Sharee were past that. They stared in mild horror instead. They were the only ones who’d ever heard of the card that Rex had just played, the one that stood towering over the Battle Guards.

‘So it does exist,’ Yugi said. ‘Grandpa told me about this card. Its powers are said to rival those of the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon.’

Mai had heard that. ‘It’s about time Rex played a card that’ll put Joey in his place.’

‘And if you think those brain-dead brutes of yours will rescue each other from this Dragon’s rampage, think again!’ Rex laid another card down. ‘With Dragon Claws my Red Eyes gets a power boost strong enough to clobber an army of your Battle Guards.’ The claws appeared on its hands and its attack powers rose to 3000. ‘Red Eyes Black Dragon, Inferno Fire Blast!’

The Red Eyes opened its mouth and spat out a ball of red energy. It struck the Battle Guards and destroyed both of them. Sharee gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.

‘How could he torch them both with just one shot?’ Joey demanded as both he and Tristan stared in shock.

Rex sneered again. ‘Those who defend together are destroyed together. Don’t tell me you thought their little clubs would be enough to save them from my Dragon’s wrath.’  
‘That creep,’ Tristan said as Joey’s life points dropped down to 235. Another hit and he was done for.

Yugi heard Mai chuckle and said, ‘That’s a good boy, Rex. Nice work.’

‘Do you smell that odour in the air, Joey?’ Rex gloated. ‘It’s the stench of your defeated Battle Guards. Who’s up next for the roast?’

Joey dropped his head, despite the fact he was clearly breaking a sweat. Yugi didn’t hear what he said.

‘Hang in there!’ Tristan called.

Téa leaned over. ‘Yugi, tell me that Dragon isn’t as tough as it looks. I mean, there must be something Joey can do to stop it.’

Yugi looked away from her and up at the duel. _I wish I could answer her, cause there is one last move that could save Joey from that Red Eyes. But I’m barred from giving advice in this duel. Joey’s just gonna have to figure out this one all by himself._ Yugi glanced over at Sharee. She hadn’t been there for the start so she didn’t know what Joey’s face-down card was. She didn’t even know it was there.

‘Play any monster you got!’ Rex crowed. ‘My Dragon has enough firepower to turn your whole deck into a smouldering pile of ash!’

Joey was tenser than before.

‘Yo, Joey!’ Tristan called. ‘You may not have the monster to beat that thing, but you got the smarts!’

‘We’re not giving up on you, Joey!’ Yugi called.

‘Don’t forget!’ Téa added. ‘Duelling’s more about heart than strength!’

‘And you got more than enough of that!’ Sharee tapped over her own heart. ‘Just think of your sister!’

‘Now, show this lizard what your made of!’ Tristan insisted.

Joey nodded and turned back to the cards. He drew his next card and gasped at what he saw in his hand.

‘Yeah,’ Rex drawled cockily. ‘That’s it, Joey. Slap down another card for my Red Eyes to fry up!’ Then he suddenly started grinning.

‘Hey,’ Mai yelled. ‘Are you gonna nab me the victory you promised or are you gonna sit there with that dumb look on your face?’ Her yelling started to sound a lot like nonsensical squawking.

‘Oh, Joey!’ Rex called. ‘I have an idea. Let’s make this duel more exciting and each put one card up for grabs as well as star chips. And so it’s fair, we’ll both put up whatever card we have on the field. Sound good?’

Joey looked startled and then he looked down. ‘Oh, yeah! My Time Wizard. I forgot about that.’

‘The Time Wizard?’ Sharee asked, voice soft. ‘He’s got that out?’

‘And, for him, I’ll give you my rarest card,’ Rex said. ‘The supreme Red Eyes Black Dragon.’

A thoughtful look came over Joey’s face. Yugi could tell he was seriously thinking about it. He didn’t mind, either. Rex had called Joey’s attention to the card in front of him and that was the only way to win. It would also give Joey a very strong monster.

‘Just what do you think you’re doing, you disobedient dolt?’ Mai started up again. ‘You’re here to take Joey out of this tournament, not to improve your deck!’

Rex turned. ‘Stay out of this!’

‘Rex, you double-crossing snake! I know what you’re scheming!’

‘I’m no lousy snake! I’m a dinosaur! You know that!’

‘Ha! You’re no dinosaur!’ Then she went off on a tangent.

The argument had been sort of amusing, if Yugi was honest. Now it was back to all of the nonsensical squawking.

‘You got a deal, Rex,’ Joey said. ‘Your Red Eyes Dragon and my Time Wizard, winner takes all!’

‘What?’ Mai twisted around.

‘Yeah!’ Rex cheered.

‘It’s a gutsy move,’ Yugi said.

‘But while I’m at it, Rex, I’m making him my weapon of choice too!’ Joey flipped the card face-up. ‘Go, Time Wizard!’

Rex recoiled in shock. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Joey just figured out the best possible move for this situation,’ Yugi said.

‘This wouldn’t be happening if you’d just obeyed my commands, Rex!’ Mai yelled.

‘I hoped you packed your bags, Rex,’ Joey said as the Time Wizard appeared. ‘If my Time Wizard’s spin arrow lands on a time warp, you’ll be on the next boat off this island.’

‘Do you really want to leave this entire duel up to a single spin?’ Rex demanded. ‘You do know what’ll happen if that arrow lands on a skull, don’t you?’

‘It’s a risk I gotta take,’ Joey said. ‘Time Roulette go!’ The spin arrow started and picked up speed until it was a yellow blur.

‘What happens if the arrow lands on a skull?’ Téa asked.

‘It’s self-destruct and take a chunk out of Joey’s life points,’ Yugi said.

‘Oh, man,’ Tristan said. ‘All he’s got is a chunk.’

‘I can’t believe this entire duel has come down to one spin!’ Téa insisted. ‘It’s almost too nerve-wracking to even watch!’

Sharee pressed her lips together for a moment. ‘All we can do is hope that arrow doesn’t land on a skull.’

‘Okay.’ Tristan paused. ‘Then let’s start hoping.’

They all watched. It seemed to take forever. Yugi knew it was just their anxiousness drawing the whole thing out. Then the arrow started to slow down.

‘It’s stopping,’ Téa said.

The arrow ticked. For a second, right before it stopped, Yugi thought it was going to land on the skull. But then it ticked over again. It landed right on the time warp. Yugi and all their friends cheered.

‘No!’ Rex yelled.

‘All right.’ Joey called out. ‘Time Warp, go!’

‘Time Magic!’ The Time Wizard called and a huge wind picked up. They raised their arms to shield themselves but they still saw it happening and they heard Rex yelling.

‘You jerk! Look what you’ve done! The entire space-time continuum is speeding out of control! Eons are passing like seconds!’

The winds eventually died down and they lifted their heads, looking. Everyone stared at the Red Eyes Black Dragon.

‘Wha…?’ Rex cried.

‘He’s been…fossilised,’ Téa said.

‘No!’ Mai insisted. ‘He hasn’t. He’s still standing. Sure, he’s beginning to grey a little but that’s natural. Go on and have him attack, Rex. Go on, Rex!’

‘Right…’ Rex was half in shock. ‘Uh…Red Eyes, go on and attack…’ He was cut off as first the head slid off and then the monster broke to pieces, crashing into the ground. ‘Oh, no, no, no!’

‘The millions of years that Joey’s Time Wizard made pass turned Rex’s Dragon into a brittle shell of dust,’ Yugi surmised.

Rex’s life points dropped down to zero. ‘So I guess you want my star chips, huh?’

Joey sighed and then straightened up. ‘Wait a second.’ He pointed. ‘Not only did I win your star chips, but I won your Red Eyes too, fair and square!’

Rex promptly had a whinge fest. Their friends all cheered. When the platform lowered, Joey jumped down and they ran to him, with Tristan in the lead. A few minutes later, Yugi, Sharee and Téa were watching them fight each other. Yugi went to step in but Téa stopped him.

‘Maybe we ought to stay out of this one. I think this is their bizarre way of showing each other they care.’

‘Oh.’ Yugi turned back to it. ‘Okay. I just hope they don’t care about me that much.’

Sharee laughed.

***

Sharee couldn’t believe these guys.

Tristan was telling the story as they sat in the dark. ‘…and when they finally pulled over to see what was in the backseat of the car, it was over twenty pepperoni pizzas with double cheese and meatballs!’

‘Oh, please!’ Téa laughed. ‘What kind of a ghost story was supposed to be?’

Joey groaned. ‘If I don’t get some food in me, I’m gonna be turning into a ghost!’

Sharee chuckled and laid back. ‘Is it my fault you two guys have black holes for stomachs? I think we’ve cleared the island out by now.’

‘Those two and their stomaches, huh?’ Téa chuckled.

‘Hey!’ Joey yelled.

The moment she saw what had gotten his attention, Sharee rolled over and crossed the distance. She shoved him back while Tristan grabbed his arms and pulled him back to stop him getting to the mushroom he’d spotted.

‘No, no, no!’ Sharee insisted. ‘I don’t care how hungry you are, just no!’

‘Wild mushrooms are poisonous, Joey!’ Yugi urgently told him.

‘So do us all a favour and let him eat it.’

They all looked up and were surprised to see Mai standing there. Of all the things that Sharee had been expecting when Mai showed up chewing on her health bar, sharing the food wasn’t one of them.

But soon the six of them were sitting in a circle, chewing on the snacks. Mai sent Yugi to find some firewood and Tristan and Joey to find water. When the boys vanished, Sharee asked.

‘So why the change of heart?’

Mai looked at her and smiled. ‘It’s night time. It’ll be a temporary truce and you guys have got me interested.’

Sharee grinned and scratched her head. ‘Wow! I’ve spent way too much time on archaeological dig sites!’

A couple of hours later, Sharee was stepping out of the makeshift wash cubicle. ‘Your turn,’ she said to Téa.

Sharee sat down and started drying her hair – quite the trick without a towel but not the feat of her life. Mai stood outside the cubicle as Téa washed, watching the boys.

‘I don’t think we should cook the candy bars, Joey,’ Yugi said.

‘Back off,’ Joey responded. ‘I know what I’m doing.’

‘Look at you go, Joey,’ Mai said. ‘Only thing missing is a chef’s hat!’ She waited until he started chuckling. ‘And a cute apron.’

‘Please!’ Joey complained. ‘All right, already!’

Sharee chuckled.

‘Archaeology?’ Mai asked her.

‘Hm?’ Sharee looked up at her. ‘Yeah, my dad’s an Egyptologist. I spent most of my life on one dig site or another.’

‘Well, that explains how you know how to hunt,’ Mai said. ‘I imagine food would run low out there.’

‘Especially in Egypt,’ Sharee said. ‘That’s where dad specialises. But there you gotta go to the Nile to get something other than reptiles.’

‘You have a cell phone,’ Mai said.

‘Yeah. And?’ Sharee started working on the spaces between her toes.

‘They cost a lot to get,’ Mai said. ‘I didn’t think archaeologists made that much money.’

‘They don’t,’ Sharee said. ‘But we’ve been doing it for generations. And we’ve made a few really good investments. On top of that we keep suing the American government for compensation.’

Mai looked at her, startled. ‘You can do that?’

‘Eh.’ Sharee shrugged. ‘They offend us every ten years or something.’

‘What?’ Téa asked from in the cubicle.

‘How?’ Mai asked.

‘Generally by slander.’ Sharee chuckled. ‘Shot at us in the twenties. Lied and then tried to bribe us in the thirties. Called us spies in the forties. Brought us before the House of Un-American Activities Committee in the fifties. Accused us of drug dealing in the sixties and then again in the seventies. Eighties were pretty quiet but a couple of years ago, they tried to use dad’s own reform against him.’ She laughed.

‘What the House of Un-American Activities Committee?’ Téa asked.

‘It was organised in the fifties by Senator McCarthy,’ Sharee explained. ‘It was right after the war so the American populace were all scared of communists infiltrating the country, to the point where anybody could be accused. If you had any remote connection to anyone who was found guilty by the committee, then you couldn’t be found innocent. Or if the government simply didn’t like you.’

‘Yeah, I’d heard that,’ Mai said. ‘And weren’t the trials broadcast over the whole of the nation?’

Sharee smirked. ‘So we just made a few comments. I think we’ve got a recording of it somewhere. But those comments were what tore the committee apart.’

Mai smiled. ‘After hearing some of your comments, I can believe that. What about your dad’s reform? What was that all about?’

‘Well, before dad got it passed, it was common practice for an archaeologist to go into a historical site and just take the treasures they found,’ Sharee said. ‘Dad happened upon the idea that a lot of cultures believed those relics needed to be where they had been put. Removing them was disrespecting the dead, so dad got a law passed: if something is in a spot for a reason, removing it is now considered stealing. You can take photos and you can make charcoal rubbings of engravements, but you cannot actually remove them. It became known as the Archaeological History and Culture Preservation Reform.’

‘Let me guess,’ Mai said. ‘They tried to say one of you violated this?’

Sharee smiled. ‘Me, specifically. I got this bandanna on one of my Egypt trips. The ancient people believed that everything in the tombs would be needed in their afterlife, including their bodies. They tried to say I took this out of a tomb.’

Mai barked out a laugh. ‘If that thing had been there since ancient times, it would now be frayed and threadbare. And that’s if it was even still there!’

‘I know!’ Sharee laughed. ‘It was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!’ But it was also accurate. Not that Mai would believe that. Thing was she’d been _given_ the Bandanna by the spirit of Shamee, who was bound to it.

***

Yugi couldn’t understand what had gotten Mai so uptight as they watched her leave. Sharee sighed and laid back, folding her hands behind her head. She didn’t seem to really be worrying about it.

Sharee smiled. ‘She’s not used to it.’

‘Eh?’ Joey asked. ‘Not used to what?’

Sharee sat up. ‘People whose company she enjoys. My betting is she grew up isolated and having people around her is odd.’

‘How do you know all that?’ Téa asked.

‘I said I spent a lot of time in Egypt,’ Sharee said. ‘When you’re in Africa, you learn to judge character very quickly and accurately or you end up in a very unpleasant place.’

‘Like what?’ Tristan asked.

‘On archaeological sites, three kinds of bad will usually manage to slip in under the radar,’ Sharee said. She counted off on her fingers. ‘Treasure hunters, slave traders and wife dealers.’

Yugi got it real fast. If you didn’t learn to judge someone on first sight, you ended up injured, dead, a slave or, if you were a girl, one of many wives of a guy you didn’t even want to marry. Téa drew back.

‘Ugh! They can’t just force you to marry them!’ she insisted.

Sharee looked over at her. ‘It’s Africa, Téa. Yes, they can.’ She shrugged. ‘Although, Egypt’s not as bad as other places.’

The bushes behind Téa suddenly rustled and she dived forward with and yelp. She nearly landed in Sharee’s lap. Joey, Yugi and Tristan jumped up and ran forward defensively. It was only one person who came out, though, and it was someone they all knew.

‘It’s Bakura,’ Yugi said.

***

Shamee immediately piped up when Yugi recognised him. _**Bakura? Who’s he? A friend of yours?**_

_Yeah, he goes to our school. Wait, he’s got a Millennium Item too, I think._

Shamee frowned. _**Which one?**_

 _Uh…not sure, but…I’ve seen it._ Sharee visualised it.

_**That’s the Millennium Ring! Sharee, quick! Get away!** _

Sharee internally chuckled. _From Bakura? Come on, Shamee. He wouldn’t hurt a fly._

_**Bakura, maybe not, but…** _

_You’re being paranoid. Not everyone with a Millennium Item is out to get us._

‘See?’ Téa asked. ‘I told you! I haven’t just been seeing things.’

‘What are you doing way out here, Bakura?’ Joey asked.

‘Same as you guys, I guess,’ Bakura said.

‘You gave us a scare, sneaking around those bushes,’ Tristan said. ‘Especially after that yarn Sharee just told.’

Sharee beamed. ‘Can I tell a scary story or can I tell a scary story?’

Joey chuckled. ‘Yeah. For a minute there, we actually thought we had something to worry about. Pretty silly, huh?’

_**Not so silly.** _

_Are you still on this? I can shut the door, you know._

They all sat back down around the fire. They all had their duelling decks out.

‘Joey, you’ve been staring at that card for like an hour,’ Tristan said. ‘What’s up?’

‘I’ll tell you,’ Joey said. ‘Just don’t laugh. Sometimes, when I’m in a duel, I pretend that it’s me out there on the field swapping blows with whatever card my opponent has out.’ He laughed. ‘Isn’t that dumb?’

‘I wouldn’t say so,’ Sharee said. ‘I’m sure lots of people do that.’

Bakura nodded and turned to him. ‘Well, if you were, which card would you want to be, Joey?’

‘Uh…’ Joey went through his deck and pulled out the Flame Swordsman. ‘This one. The Flame Swordsman kicks everybody’s butt.’ He jumped up and mined slashing down with a sword.’

‘Not my guy’s!’ Tristan stood up with his card. ‘The Cyber Commander!’

Sharee, Téa and Yugi smiled.

‘You boys and your cards are hilarious,’ Téa said.

‘I think everyone has a card they can identify with,’ Yugi said. ‘You should see if you can pick one for yourself, Téa.’

Téa looked through her own deck. ‘Okay.’ She pulled out one card and put the rest away. ‘I pick this one. The Magician of Faith.’

‘What?’ asked Tristan. ‘You gotta be kidding me!’

‘More like the Magician of Freaks if you ask me,’ Joey said.

‘Shut up!’ Téa snapped, causing them to grab onto each other.

‘What about you, Sharee?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee, seeing this coming, had already pulled out hers. ‘Simple. The Fire Sorcerer.’ She held it up. She also knew it was Shamee’s ka monster, but she found that one out after she’d found the card.

‘Tell me which one you identify with, Yugi,’ Bakura said.

‘Oh, that’s easy.’ Yugi held up the card. ‘Dark Magician, hands down.’

‘Maybe I’m just out of the loop,’ Téa said. ‘But don’t you guys think it’s a little silly to be comparing ourselves to playing cards?’

‘No,’ Sharee said. ‘Ancient Egyptians did it. In fact, right now, my dad’s trying to prove that this game came from their Shadow Games.’

Yugi nodded. ‘Yeah, I think Pegasus said something about that when he took grandpa’s soul. He said the ancient Egyptians used to play with real monsters and real magic.’

‘Yeah, but they could generally only call one monster and no others.’ Sharee paused. ‘Unless you happened to have that much power. Anyway, the one creature they could call was called their ka monster.’

‘Could you explain that?’ Yugi asked.

‘Sure,’ Sharee said, ignoring Shamee’s warning not to say too much in front of Bakura. ‘Ancient Egyptians believed they needed five different principles of themselves kept intact for them to survive in their afterlife. Two of these were the ka and the ba. The ba was the body, which was why mummification happened. And the ka was the soul. Your ka monster was a duel monster you called that came from your soul.’

Tristan looked at her. ‘The scary thing is that you know this.’

Téa laughed. ‘Her dad’s an archaeologist who specialises in Egypt.’

‘Isn’t that an Egyptologist?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee nodded.

‘But it’s like grandpa said,’ Yugi told Téa. ‘It’s not about the cards. It’s about putting a little bit of your heart into the things you care about.’ His friends all nodded. Yugi turned. ‘So which card do you care about most, Bakura?’

‘This one is my favourite.’ Bakura held up the card.

‘Isn’t that the Change of Heart card?’ Yugi asked.

‘Kind of a weird looking picture, don’t you think?’ Joey asked.

Bakura’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘If you want to see how it works, we could have a duel right now. Not for star chips. Just for a little fun.’

 _ **Sharee!**_ She ignored the yell in her head and smiled with the rest of her friends.

‘Sure,’ Joey said. ‘I’m down with that. After all this star chips stuff, it’ll be nice to have a duel with no strings attached.’

‘I agree,’ Yugi said. ‘I think just a regular old duel sounds like a great idea.’

‘Why don’t you guys each put your favourite card into Yugi’s deck so it’ll be like we’re all playing?’ Bakura suggested.

‘That’s a good idea,’ Joey said.

‘Yeah,’ Tristan agreed.

Yugi smiled. ‘Great. But I should warn you that with this all-star team of ours, we’ll be tough to beat.’

Sharee, Téa, Tristan and Joey handed Yugi their favourite cards and he put them into the deck. As he shuffled them, Bakura responded. ‘True, but maybe I’ll surprise you.’

 _ **Sharee, listen to me! For Ra’s sake, listen!**_ Sharee would usually, but Shamee was paranoid.

‘This’ll be fun,’ Téa said.

They went over to a tree stump and set the duel up. Yugi sat on one side with the others behind him and Bakura sat on the other.

‘All right,’ Yugi said. ‘I’m all shuffled.’

‘You’re sure you don’t mind playing alone?’ Téa asked Bakura.

Joey gave him a thumb’s up. ‘Don’t you worry about a thing, Bakura. We’ll go easy on you.’

‘Thanks,’ Bakura said.

‘Right.’ Joey stepped back. ‘Now let’s get this duel on the road.’

Shamee yelled in her head again. _**Sharee, please, listen! The Millennium Ring isn’t like the others!**_ And Sharee finally paid attention, but only because a dark look came over Bakura’s face.

_Come again?_

‘Before we get started, there’s a little something I’d like to share with you all,’ Bakura said.

‘Huh?’ Tristan asked.

_**You’re looking at Bakura’s body only.** _

‘And especially with you two, Yugi and Sharee,’ Bakura went on.

_How’s that different from you?_

‘What’s that?’ asked Joey.

‘You’ll see.’ Bakura chuckled a little. He closed his eyes and held his hands in front of his chest.

_**No, literally. Only his body.** _

‘What’s he doing?’ Téa asked.

‘This is getting freaky!’ Joey insisted.

_Only…?_

Suddenly the air around his hands rippled and the Millennium Ring materialised.

‘No!’ Yugi cried. ‘It can’t be! A Millennium Item!’

‘Did you not notice it before?’ Sharee asked. ‘I saw it first day he came to the school.’ _**So think, Sharee. Why did he see the need to hide it until now?**_

‘Yes!’ Bakura’s voice was completely different. ‘And the magic of my Millennium Ring will take us to the Shadow Realm.’

‘Man, I hate magic,’ Joey said.

Sharee ground her teeth. ‘So much for no strings!’

‘Why are you doing this, Bakura?’ Yugi demanded.

‘I don’t think that is Bakura,’ Sharee stated.

 _Clever girl._ The voice of the entity rang in their heads with a malicious sort of glee. The Millennium Ring glowed brightly. One part of Sharee wanted to run but she knew there’d be nowhere for her to go. _You’ve both something I want, Yugi and Sharee, and I aim to take it!_

Sharee felt a harsh ripping sensation. The last thing she heard before blackness enveloped her was _**Sharee!**_

***  
When Sharee’s soul was ripped out, Shamee’s first instinct was to immediately take control of the body even as it fell, but she knew she had to alert Yami to the problem before she went and did that. As she reached out with her mind to give him a required nudge, she found him dozing within the Chamber of the Mind. A nudge was all she could do.

It worked, she felt him come to full consciousness and his heart changed from contented to anxious in one second. He’d noticed his young host was missing. Shamee listened to Bakura. Chuckling, he stood. She didn’t see it but she could hear all of it.

‘That wasn’t too difficult.’ He began walking over. ‘Their souls have been locked away. And now, after waiting for countless centuries, both the legendary Millennium Puzzle and the accompanying Millennium Bandanna are mine!’

Shamee felt the return nudge and she and Yami slipped into control of their respective vessels. It was something Bakura obviously wasn’t prepared for. He cried out and backed away as they opened their eyes and stood up. Shamee came and took her usual place behind Yami, to his right and an inch away.

‘No!’ He stared at the two of them. ‘It can’t be!’

‘You want our Millennium Items?’ Yami demanded, folding his arms across his chest and standing straight. ‘Then you’re going to have to duel me for them. But if I win, you’ll release my friends and sends us all back!’

Bakura recovered and laughed. ‘I agree to your ridiculous terms, Yugi. But I promise you there is more at stake here than you comprehend and this is one Shadow Game that you cannot win!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone got offended by Sharee's stereotyping of African nations, I would like to insert a disclaimer here: this was a generalisation made by a 16 yr old girl.


	13. Evil Spirit of the Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out Sharee knows a bit more than she's letting on.
> 
> The boy and his mother return.

Bakura stood on one side of the tree stump. Yami and Shamee stood on the other. They stared each other down for a time that only those with infinite patience could. Yami was the first to speak.

‘Bakura, what have you done? Why have you taken us to the Shadow Realm?’

The other boy laughed. ‘Bakura? Bakura is no longer here.’

‘So my host was right, then,’ Shamee said.

‘Indeed she was,’ the entity using his body said.

‘If you’re not Bakura, then who are you?’ Yami demanded.

‘I am a thief and a stealer of souls,’ the entity said. ‘And I have done terrible things in my quest to possess the Millennium Items. You do remember the legends, don’t you?’

Yami’s frown deepened. Yes, he did.

‘Whosoever wields all seven Millennium Items shall possess power unimaginable,’ the entity said. ‘And before I’m done with you, your Millennium Puzzle will me mine. And the Bandanna will be next.’

Yami wrapped his hand around the Puzzle in question. ‘That’s not going to happen, whoever you are!’

‘Then let the Shadow Game begin. The first move is yours.’

They knelt down and each drew five cards each. Shamee stood behind him but before the first move could be made, Yami heard the sound of pattering small feet. He turned his head and Shamee turned her body.

‘It’s the little boy,’ she said.

At that moment, the little boy from the last time ran out of the Shadows. His purple eyes were wide and he shot right past Shamee. Yami raised his free arm in time to catch the child as he clamped to his side. Wrapping his arm protectively around him, Yami looked down in confusion. Why did he come again?

The little boy’s fists grabbed Yami’s jacket and tugged urgently. ‘They went in the cards! They went in the cards!’

‘What?’ Yami asked.

The evil spirit within Bakura growled. ‘Tattling brat!’

‘Oh, rat rot!’ Shamee scowled. ‘This guy had our modern-day friends each pick out their favourite cards and put them in that deck and then he took their souls.’

It hit Yami like a shot arrow. He looked down in his hand. Both the Fire Sorcerer and the Cyber Commander were in his hand. That meant the cards contained Sharee’s and Tristan’s mortal souls.  
 _ **So this boy was watching the whole thing! And he came out to warn me before I played any of these cards.**_ Yami looked down at the child clinging to his torso. ‘Thank you.’

The boy smiled and relaxed a little bit but he stayed where he was. Shamee’s hand landed on Yami’s shoulder. He looked up at her. There was a thoughtful frown on her face but she pointed to the Fire Sorcerer.

‘Sharee is aware of the Shadow Games and all their implications,’ she said. ‘She also comes from a long line of survivors.’

So it would be best to play her.

The evil spirit sniggered. ‘Such a pity for her to break the cycle.’

‘Shamee believes in her host,’ Yami said. ‘And so do I.’ He took the card and laid it down. ‘I play the Fire Sorcerer in attack mode!’

A glow came out of the card and Sharee stood there, miniaturised and dressed like her favourite card. First she looked down across the field and then down at herself. She looked up at Bakura and then turned to look back at Yami and Shamee, only glancing at the little boy.

‘A Shadow Game?’ she asked.

‘I’m afraid so,’ Yami said. ‘An evil spirit has taken over Bakura and unless I win this, your souls will be trapped in your favourite cards forever.’

Sharee nodded. ‘Or claimed by the Reaper if we’re destroyed in this duel.’ She looked up at Shamee. ‘I will never doubt you again.’

‘Good to know.’ Shamee gave her a thumb’s up.

Sharee nodded and turned back around. She folded her arms, stood and faced the other side of the duel board. The evil spirit looked at her with distain, like he didn’t really appreciate that she was the one that was summoned.

‘Well, that was a pain,’ he said. ‘I’ll lay one monster face-down on the field.’ The card went down.

Yami saw Sharee tense slightly but she knew she was safe for now. She turned and looked up at him, waiting. Yami drew and then pulled another card from his hand. He didn’t like to do this but he was choice-less.

‘And next card, the Cyber Commander.’ Yami laid it in defence mode. ‘Sharee?’

Sharee nodded. The image glowed and Tristan appeared. To say he didn’t take the situations as calmly as Sharee would be an understatement. First, he didn’t seem to register it was real.

Tristan looked down at the gun in his hands. ‘What a weird dream.’

Sharee groaned. ‘Tristan, if it was dream, you’d have just woken up.’

Tristan looked at her and then around. He didn’t turn though. Then he started panicking. ‘What? What the heck? How am I…? What? Oh, my God, I’m…’ Then he started screaming.

Sharee shot across and swung. Her palm connected with his face, cutting of the yell and his head twisted to the side. Yami looked up at Shamee in askance. She smiled and shrugged. ‘These days, people hit each other to bring them down from hysterics. Girls slap. Boys punch.’

The spirit chuckled. ‘How amusing. Who’s your little friend, Yugi? He looks pretty tough, but can he deal with this?’

Bakura flipped over his downed card. ‘The White Magical Hat! Attack!’

The monster appeared on the field and ran at Tristan. He spun around and stared with wide eyes. But Sharee did something no one was expecting. She grabbed Tristan and threw him to the ground, but as she touched him she muttered an incantation. The Fire Sorcerer’s attack power rose by 750. Then she spun around and pushed out her hand, splaying her fingers wide. Fire shot out from her palm. With the greater attack power, she easily destroyed the White Magical Hat. The evil spirit growled in annoyance as his life points dropped to 1200.

‘I told you she was good!’ Shamee was almost gloating.

‘Good work, Sharee,’ Yami said. The boy clinging to him let go only to clap.

Sharee turned around and grinned. ‘Thank you.’

‘What…?’ Tristan shook his head, looking around wildly.

‘Long story short?’ Sharee offered him her hand. ‘There’s an evil spirit in Bakura who trapped us in our favourite cards. Unless we win this and we all stay in one piece, we’ll be trapped here forever. That means we gotta keep our heads.’

Tristan looked at her hand and then at her. He turned and looked behind him at the three of them. Then he looked back at Sharee and took her hand. She pulled him up to his feet and he sighed.

‘Thanks, Sharee,’ Tristan said. ‘I owe you.’

‘Don’t mention it.’ Sharee smiled and turned back to Yami. Tristan followed suit.

Yami looked down again. Tristan would have lost his soul forever if not for Sharee’s quick thinking. _**I’d like to avoid using the cards with my friends souls trapped in them…**_ His thoughts were interrupted by Sharee.

‘If you’ve got another one of us in your hand, I don’t think we’re safe anywhere but in the deck,’ she said.

Yami looked up at Shamee for a second opinion. She nodded. ‘She has a set of nearly infallible instincts cultivated by her family being in the archaeology business for nearly two hundred years. It only fails if her scientific reasoning gets in the way.’

That meant he’d have to do this. As much as he didn’t want to…Yami pulled the card from his hand. ‘Joey’s favourite card.’ He laid it down. ‘The Flame Swordsman!’

The card was in attack mode and Joey appeared on the field, dressed as the Flame Swordsman. Sharee and Tristan watched as he seemed to have a very different reaction from either of them.

***

Sharee watched Joey appear.

‘Hey!’ He looked surprised. ‘What gives? Hey, Yugi…’ He turned around and screamed. ‘What the…? You’re a giant! Oh, man! I finally cracked.’

‘Joey, listen to me,’ Yami said. ‘Your soul has been sealed inside your favourite card. You’ve become the Flame Swordsman.’

‘I’m the who?’ Joey demanded.

‘If I don’t win this duel, we can’t restore you to normal,’ Yami said. ‘But if you’re defeated in this battle, you’ll be carried off to the card graveyard and the Reaper of the Cards will claim your soul.’

‘Graveyard?’ Joey demanded.

‘Calm down!’ Sharee told him as she marched over. ‘If we panic, our chances of survival and escape lessen!’

Joey looked at her and exhaled heavily.

‘In order for me to win this duel, restore you to your bodies and get us out of the Shadow Realm, I’m going to need your help,’ Yami said.

Joey grinned at him. ‘You want my help, you got my help.’

Well…that was easy. He didn’t panic for as long as Tristan had. Even Yami and Shamee looked confused at that. The little boy clinging to Yami – it was the same one that showed up when Pegasus brought them to the Shadow Realm so his mother couldn’t be far away – looked at Joey with wide inquisitive eyes.

‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ Yami asked.

‘Okay?’ Joey asked. ‘I figure I’ve lost my mind, but I’m gonna go with it.’ He turned around. ‘Now, who wants a beating…?’ He spotted Bakura and yelled out in shock. ‘Giant Bakura? Now I know I’m nuts! I’m, like, six inches tall, wearing a dress, about to fight my giant friend?’

‘That’s not Bakura,’ Sharee told him. ‘I said it before.’

Yami explained. ‘An evil spirit from his Millennium Ring has taken him over.’

‘Well.’ Joey nodded once. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s cool. What are we fighting?’

‘We’re just on stand-by for now,’ Sharee said. ‘And I’m afraid to tell you that you haven’t lost your mind. This is really happening.’

Bakura glared at them and laid a card face-down.

‘Huh?’ Yami asked. ‘Why’d he play that card face-down?’

‘Because he’s afraid of what Joey the Swordsman’s about to do to it,’ Joey said.

‘Wait, it could be a trap,’ Yami said.

‘No worries!’ Joey charged.

‘No, wait!’ yelled Yami.

‘Joey!’ Sharee and Tristan yelled at him. That guy was just too pig-headed for his own good.

The card flipped up and went out at Joey but he slashed it. ‘See, easy.’

‘No!’ Sharee hissed.

‘It’s a Morphing Jar,’ Yami said.

‘Huh?’ Joey turned around. ‘A Morphing Jar. Did I screw up?’

‘Yes,’ Sharee said.

‘When a Morphing Jar is attacked both players have to send their hand to the graveyard,’ Yami explained. ‘We’re just really lucky that I didn’t have Téa’s soul-card in my hand right now.’

‘Whoa.’ Joey dropped to his knees. ‘Sorry, Yug.’

‘Or Yugi’s for that matter,’ Sharee said. Time to let the cat out of the bag. Yami nodded once and discarded his hand.

Tristan looked at her. ‘Wait, isn’t Yugi duelling?’

Sharee looked at him. ‘Sort of.’

Yami discarded his hand and drew five new cards. The way his eyes widened for a moment, Sharee guessed that he’d picked up one of the two remaining soul-cards. The evil spirit chuckled.

‘With a new hand…’ He laid a card face-down in defence mode. ‘…comes a whole new perspective. The game…’ He laid another card face-down. ‘…ever-shifting, new dangers surround every turn.’

Yami laid a card down. ‘The Dark Magician.’

Sharee began walking over even as the card lit up and the soul within was released. She knew the confusion that would follow and that it fell to her to explain it. Yugi appeared on the board. By far the most calm aside from her, he blinked at the sight before him.

‘It’s okay, Yugi,’ Sharee said.

Yugi looked at her and turned around, looking up at Yami. ‘But just one second ago, I was up there.’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan said. ‘If you’re down here, then who’s that up there?’

***

Yugi stared up at…well, himself and Sharee, even though she was also standing right next to him. He was about to answer Tristan’s question with “I don’t know”, but Sharee cut him off.

‘We’ll call him Yami for now. The one behind him, in my body, is called Shamee.’

‘You knew about this?’ Joey asked.

‘A lot of people who get into archaeology don’t read the fine print.’ Sharee folded her arms across her chest. ‘Magic is a big part of the industry. I grew up on that so I’m not like most people. As a rule, our minds reject things we can’t understand.’ She looked at Yugi. ‘That’s why you had all those blanks in your memory every time Yami had to take control of your body. In time, you could rationalise some of it so they became more and more infrequent. Of that, what do you remember?’

Yugi stared up at Yami. ‘Well, I’ve noticed that sometimes, when I’m duelling, it feels as if someone is guiding me.’

Yami smiled encouragingly and nodded.

Yugi looked back at his friends. ‘And sometimes it’s like I can hear a strong voice calling out to me from my Millennium Puzzle, an ancient, powerful voice.’

‘Bright lad,’ Sharee said, smiling. ‘Yugi, you and I are the vessels for these two spirits, who are the most benevolent ones that I have ever even heard of.’

Joey and Tristan blinked at the two of them.

‘Huh?’ Joey asked.

‘Really?’ Tristan managed a bit more.

‘I’m not sure what it’s all about,’ Yugi said. He could see his friends weren’t sure what to make of this. ‘But I’m pretty sure we can trust them, whoever they are.’

‘Right.’ Sharee nodded.

‘Hey,’ Joey said. ‘If the big guys are okay in your book, then they’re okay by me.’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan agreed.

‘So now what?’ Yugi asked.

‘Now…’ Sharee turned. ‘We finish this duel and deal with spirit that’s possessed Bakura, before Téa’s card gets played.’

‘Good idea.’ Yugi thought it was very interesting how Sharee was talking like they weren’t also possessed, even by benevolent spirits, like Bakura was.

Joey turned. ‘I’m gonna bash me some Bakura.’

‘Hang on, Joey,’ Yugi said. ‘I was just played so I have to move.’ He raised the staff. ‘Dark Magic attack!’

The card flipped up. ‘No!’ Yugi cried. ‘Another Morphing Jar!’

‘How many of those does he have?’ Sharee growled.

The evil spirit chuckled. ‘We’ll have to send all the cards in our hands to the graveyard again.’

Yugi turned. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s okay, man,’ Joey said. ‘I did the same thing.’

They watched Yami fold his hand and put his card into the graveyard. He drew five more cards and a look came onto his face. Yugi had a nasty feeling that he’d just picked up Téa’s soul-card. Beside him, Sharee ground her teeth.

Yami confirmed it. ‘No! The Magician of Faith!’

The evil spirit smirked. ‘Hm. Isn’t that Téa’s favourite card? Do you suppose that her mortal soul is trapped within it? Hm, I wonder. Maybe you should play it and find out. But then again…’ He laid down another card face-down in defence mode. ‘…you don’t know what I’m laying here, so you might be putting her in danger.’ He smirked. ‘A dilemma. And while you decide, I’ll just active this trap card.’

‘No!’ Yami drew back.

‘Just Deserts! I think it will help you come to grips with your present situation.’

A large hand came out of the card and wrapped around Yami’s head, draining his life points down to 200. That was when Yugi noticed the small child clinging to him. The boy whimpered and tightened his grip on Yami. What was a kid doing here?

When the hand retreated, Yami slumped slightly and his free hand came to rest on the boy’s shoulders. He rubbed the child’s back reassuringly, despite the fact that he was clearly in pain. The hand holding the cards was rubbing over his heart.

‘Just Deserts takes 400 points for each of your monsters on the field and you’ll feel like each and every point has been ripped from your beating heart!’

‘Yami!’ Sharee called. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes,’ Yami said, despite the fact that his voice was laced with pain. ‘But one more attack like that and it’s over!’

‘Whoa,’ Tristan said. ‘That trap just nailed Yami’s life points! Or maybe I should say our life points.’

Yami growled and laid a card face-down on the field. A glow came from beneath and it lifted. Téa was underneath, dressed as the Magician of Faith. She didn’t notice that there was something wrong right away.

Téa looked around in confusion and then smiled when she saw them. ‘Hey, what’s up!’

The rest of them froze.

‘She’s making Joey look like a genius right now,’ Sharee muttered.

The four of them jumped forward and blocked Téa from Bakura’s view.

‘Uh…guys?’ Téa asked.

‘Quiet!’ Joey insisted.

‘It’s a little early for Halloween, don’t you think?’ she asked.

‘Pot, kettle, black!’ Sharee hissed at her.

‘Huh?’ Téa finally seemed to notice. ‘What the…? What’s this?’

‘What does it look like?’ Sharee demanded under her breath.

‘Shush!’ Joey insisted. ‘Bakura and Yugi are big duelling giants and are fighting for our souls.’

‘But Yugi’s right here!’ Téa insisted.

‘Yeah, well, the big guy’s not really me, but he’s not really not me either,’ Yugi said.

‘Okay!’ Sharee heaved a sigh. ‘I’ll explain it how I understand it! Yugi and I are the vessels for a couple of Ancient Egyptian spirits who had their souls sealed in our respective Millennium Items back in the times of the original Shadow Games. Yugi agreed to share his body with Yami when he slid the last piece of the Millennium Puzzle into place. I agreed to share my body with Shamee when I touched the eye of the Millennium Bandanna. We’re the way for them to get around to finish whatever it is they started five thousand years ago.’

‘You don’t know what it is?’ Téa asked.

‘Well, neither do they,’ Sharee said. ‘Their memories were all buried for some reason.’ She folded her arms across her chest. ‘My reckoning is they did it themselves because they died fighting to save the world. I could be wrong, but that’s how I get it.’

***

Shamee smiled as she listened to this. Sharee had grasped the explanation quite well and phrased it correctly too. Bakura smirked and laid another card face-down. Yami drew again and pulled a card out. ‘All right, then! Soul-stealer, I’ll play my next card face-down.’ He laid it down. ‘And it’s your move.’

The evil spirit looked down and the other four quickly tried to cover Téa so he couldn’t see her. He raised his chin. ‘Don’t bother, you fools, I can see her perfectly well. Now I have all five of you right where I want you. Helpless on the field…’ He took a card out of his hand. ‘Easy prey for my Man-Eater Bug!’  
Yugi and Sharee drew back, clearly very aware of what that was.

‘Man-Eater Bug?’ Téa asked as she stood up. ‘I’m glad I’m a girl!’

Joey turned to the smallest of them. ‘Yugi, what’s that card do?’

‘The Man-Eater Bug can automatically destroy one creature on the field as soon as it’s flipped up,’ Yugi said.

Téa gasped. ‘Well, that’s certainly not good.’

Shamee suddenly turned her head as she sensed another familiar heart coming from behind them. ‘Hm?’

Yami turned as well. The kids on the board wouldn’t be able to see yet but Shamee, Yami and the evil spirit all watched as the woman walked out of the Shadows. She was exactly as she’d been last time. She looked at the evil spirit and scowled.

‘Oh, not you again!’

‘Who’s that?’ Tristan asked.

Sharee cocked her head. ‘I remember the voice. It’s that little boy’s mother. I think she knows Yami and Shamee, probably from their lifetimes.’

‘By any chance,’ Shamee said to the woman, ‘could you tell us who has taken control of Bakura’s body?’

The woman walked forward. Despite the fact that his mother was there, the little boy did not leave Yami’s side. She stepped up behind the man in question and nodded once, jade eyes glaring at Bakura. Now she was standing where everyone could see her, next to Shamee. ‘Yes. That’s the Thief King. He’s the most loyal servant of the Dark One, who’s been imprisoned.’

‘The Dark One?’ Yami asked.

The woman nodded. ‘The Thief King wants the Millennium Items so he can release his master.’

‘So that’s what nearly destroyed the entire world back then,’ Sharee said. ‘The Dark One!’

‘Yes.’ The woman nodded again.

‘But if the Dark One’s released, won’t that just happen again?’ Yugi asked.

‘Which is why it can’t happen.’ The woman then laid her hands on Yami’s shoulders and leaned down. She whispered something in his ear. Shamee didn’t hear what was said but it certainly interested Yami.

The Thief King chuckled. ‘Just you watch.’

‘First let’s finish this duel,’ Sharee said. ‘But the Man-Eater Bug’s a problem. We can’t just attack it before he goes to use it.’

Yugi nodded. ‘The moment we make an attack, that card will activate.’

‘There’s a way to stop that Man-Eater Bug, but…it does come with a condition.’ Sharee said as she and Yugi turned to the card behind them.

‘Right,’ Tristan said. ‘The trap card Yami laid down.’

‘Yeah,’ Yugi said. ‘But I’m afraid, to use it, the card requires that we sacrifice a creature.’

‘You mean, one of us?’ Téa asked, horrified.

‘Yes,’ Sharee said.

‘Don’t worry, Tea.’ Tristan stepped forward. ‘I’ll go!’

‘No way, Tristan!’ Téa insisted.

‘Think about it,’ he said. ‘That Man-Eater Bug’s going to take one of us out no matter what we do! At least this way, I’m taking it out too…’ Joey rammed his sword into Tristan’s gut. ‘I guess you disagree.’

Evidentially, he did. ‘You gotta stay and look after these guys.’ Joey faced it. ‘If anyone’s going, it’s me!’

‘Joey, wait!’ Yugi called.

‘It’s too late!’ Téa cried. She was right.

Joey was already charging. He stood on top of the card and raised his sword. ‘How tough can this bug be?’ The Man-Eater Bug appeared and Joey was clinging to its head as it thrashed around. ‘Yami, use the trap! Do it! Do it now!’

Shamee saw something in Yami’s face besides shock. The woman behind him squeezed his shoulders. In the next instant, he’d flipped the card over and the trap activated. ‘I’m activating a trap, sacrificing my Flame Swordsman to do so – the Horn of Heaven! Blasting it celestial tune directly at your Man-Eater Bug, obliterating him from the field once and for all!’

A bright light shot up, destroying the Man-Eater Bug…and Joey.

‘Joey!’ Yugi called as he climbed to his feet.

‘What’s happening to him?’ Téa demanded.

‘It’s the trap,’ Sharee said.

‘He’s disappearing!’ Tristan exclaimed.

Joey yelled out one more thing. ‘Don’t worry about me!’ Then he was gone.

***

Yami had forgotten just how brave some people could be. And he’d forgotten how much that hurt people who’d never seen death before. Yugi and Téa were in shock. Sharee was angry, but tears were streaming down her face – clearly an exception to that.

‘He’s gone,’ Tristan said. ‘Just like that! My best buddy’s gone.’

‘Don’t worry,’ the Thief King said. ‘You’ll soon join him in the graveyard. You can spend an eternity together.’

Yami growled and stared at him, trying to think. There had to be a way to get Joey out of there. Unfortunately, Yugi’s deck contained only one Monster Reborn card. And that was sitting in his graveyard.

‘I hope you don’t harbour any illusions about rescuing your friend Joey from the graveyard,’ the Thief King said. ‘From the look on your face, you haven’t got Reborn the Monster, the only way to get him back. And soon the Reaper of Cards will claim his soul forever!’

‘Poor Joey,’ Téa said. ‘He sacrificed himself. He can’t be gone.’ A tear fell from her cheek and landed on the card beneath her. Immediately, it began to glow bright and so did she.  
That was right!

‘Téa?’ Yugi turned around. So did Sharee and Tristan.

‘Of course!’ Sharee slapped herself in the forehead. ‘Her tear activated the magic effect of the Magician of Faith!’

‘That’s right,’ Yami said. ‘And the magic of the Magician of Faith allows me to bring back one card from the discard pile and add it to my hand!’ As he spoke the glow went from Téa to his hand and the card appeared. ‘And the card I choose – Reborn the Monster!’ He laid the card down. ‘Which I play now!’

Joey appeared on the card and flinched away from what had been happening. ‘No, I don’t wanna…!’ He lifted his head. ‘Huh? Wha…?’ He looked around and Yugi, Sharee, Tristan and Téa rushed over to him.

‘Joey!’

‘You’re back!’ Yugi said.

Joey looked up at him and grinned. ‘All right!’

The Thief King glared at him. ‘You waste your time and your turns rescuing these foolish mortals.’

‘My friends are never a waste of time,’ Yami said. ‘Make your move.’

The Thief King chuckled. ‘Oh, I’ll move and you will lose. This is the play that will end the match and win me your Millennium Puzzle and then it’s Shamee’s turn.’ He laid a card down. ‘First I will play the Lady of Faith in attack mode. Then the card that will turn your friends against one another.’ He held it up. ‘The Change of Heart!’

Yami nearly smirked. That was what he’d been waiting for since the woman had come and whispered in his ear. But why did her breath across his skin make the hair on the back of his neck stand? Why did it cause a barely-repressed shiver to run through him?

‘Change of heart?’ Yugi asked. ‘Isn’t that Bakura’s favourite card?’

‘And a very magical card, it is,’ the Thief King said. ‘With this card, I can turn you against your comrades. The very friends you sought to protect you will now destroy.’ And he was talking directly to Yugi.

‘No! I refuse!’ Yugi insisted defiantly.

‘You won’t have a choice in the matter,’ the Thief King said. ‘The Change of Heart card allows me to control any opposing monster and I choose you, little Yugi.’

Even though he had a strong feeling it wouldn’t work, Yami became angry. When he’d merged with the short-statured boy, he’d sworn to protect him. ‘Leave the young one out of this!’

‘Why should I?’ the Thief King asked. ‘By simply destroying him, I defeat you as well. Prepared to die to protect him? Then protect him against this!’ He laid the card down.  
The light from the card was brighter than any other. Yugi raised his arm to shield himself. Sharee, Téa, Tristan and Joey all called out his name. Only Shamee’s centuries of disciple kept her from doing much more than stepping forward and only the woman’s reassuring grip on Yami’s shoulders kept him calm. The little boy cried out and buried his face in Yami’s jacket.

The glow died down and, besides the woman behind him, Yami was the only one on their side not surprised.

‘Huh?’ Yugi said. ‘It’s Bakura!’

‘The real Bakura!’ Téa cried.

Just as the woman had said. And that wasn’t all she’d told him. He’d gathered enough power now and he could feel it.

‘Bakura,’ Yugi said. ‘So your soul was sealed into your favourite card too!’

Bakura moved. ‘I want to help, but we must act quickly, Yugi!’ He possessed the Lady of Faith. Its features became his. ‘I’ve taken over one of his cards instead of yours!’

The Thief King cried out in surprise.

‘I’ll control it while you attack me,’ Bakura said. ‘So you can win against the evil Bakura.’

‘I can’t,’ Yugi said. ‘I’d be destroying you! Sending you to the graveyard!’

‘I don’t care,’ Bakura insisted. ‘It’s better than being enslaved by an evil spirit! Do it!’

‘Be quiet!’ the Thief King ordered.

Now was the time to move. The Millennium Eye glowed on Yami’s head. ‘I have a better idea! The evil power of Bakura’s Millennium Ring can pull souls from people, in turn the power of my Millennium Puzzle can put them back!’ As he spoke he swapped Bakura around with the Thief King.

The little boy by his side clapped again. ‘Yay!’

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘Our Bakura’s back where he belongs!’

‘But what happened to the evil guy?’ Tristan asked.

‘There!’ Sharee pointed to the Lady of Faith.

‘This can’t be!’ the Thief King cried.

‘Listen closely, Yugi,’ Yami said. ‘Use the power of the Dark Magician! Send him to the graveyard! Now!’

‘You got it!’ Yugi extended his hand. ‘Dark Magic Attack!’

The attack hit and the Thief King was banished to the graveyard. Yami then used the power of his puzzle again, returning the rest of the misplaced souls to their bodies. Before he took them from Shadow Realm, however, the woman and the boy stepped back. There was something in the woman’s eyes though.

It was something he couldn’t place. She looked…sad. But she smiled and said, ‘See you next time, Prince.’ She then took her son and they walked back into the shadows.

Shamee scratched her nose. ‘Well, the plot thickens…’

***

Only Yugi, Sharee and Bakura were still awake.

‘Are you okay, Bakura?’ Yugi asked.

‘I am now,’ he said. ‘Thanks to you.’

Sharee and Yugi smiled. Yugi looked at the thing hanging around Bakura’s neck. ‘Where did you get your Millennium Ring?’

‘My father picked it up on one of his trips,’ Bakura said, looking down at it. ‘He told me it’s from ancient Egypt. I think that’s where they’re all from. He was shopping in a merchant bazaar when the Millennium Ring caught his eye. The man who sold the Ring to my father said it had something to do with Duel Monsters, but that never made sense to be since the card game is new and the Ring is clearly ancient.’

‘Maybe I ought to explain it to you then,’ Sharee said. ‘You see, the Ancient Egyptians used to play a game that was a variant on Duel Monsters. That Shadow Game is exactly what I’m talking about.’

‘Wait, Pegasus said something about that,’ Yugi said.

‘That’s the only time I’ve ever heard of him admitting it,’ Sharee said. ‘When my father questioned him about it, he got a denial. But I know the contrary because of Shamee. So dad’s big project now is proving the connection between the two games.’

‘Is Shamee why your dad had that reform made?’ Yugi asked. Téa had told him about that.

Sharee nodded. ‘Once he knew she was here…’ She tapped her forehead. ‘…he also realised she wouldn’t be able to protect her own beliefs quite as well so he picked his words carefully, aiming to make it illegal to remove and import Ancient Egyptian artefacts most prominently.’

‘I see,’ Bakura said. ‘Wait, is your father the American Dr. Dennis Pertinicle?’

‘Yup.’ Sharee smiled.

‘Yes, I’ve met him.’ Bakura nodded. ‘When he saw the Ring, he advised I be careful.’

‘He would,’ Sharee said. ‘So your father gave it to you when he got back?’

‘He said he felt I was destined to have it.’

The conversation stopped as their other three friends woke up.

Tristan sat up. ‘I just dreamt Bakura went totally mental!’

‘Same here.’ Joey scratched his head. ‘Last time I snooze with duelling cards under my pillow.’

Seemingly amused, Bakura stepped towards them. ‘Sleep well, guys?’

‘Bakura!’ Tristan and Joey grabbed onto each other in fear. Sharee and Yugi started laughing at them. They froze up.

‘Hands off,’ Tristan said.

‘You grabbed me,’ Joey argued.

They threw themselves back from each other. Bakura and Téa joined in with the laughter. All their amusement slowly died down though.

Téa put her finger to her cheek. ‘I dreamt…we were dressed as duel monsters and there were two Yugis and two Sharees.’

Yugi froze up, trying to think of a way to explain that, Bakura scratched his cheek nervously and Sharee suddenly found the dirt of immense interest. But they were saved by the bell…or rather by the scream that ripped through the forest. A flock of birds suddenly took off in fright. Yugi, Sharee and Bakura twisted around. Joey, Tristan and Téa jumped to their feet.

‘That voice…’ Joey said. ‘Sounded like Mai!’

‘It is her!’ Sharee exclaimed.

‘Let’s go!’ Yugi led the way as they all ran in the direction it came from. ‘Whatever it is, we’ll face it together!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


	14. The Light at the End of the Tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bullies can only be handled if you can stand up to them.

Yugi felt the Spirit of the Puzzle shifting in his mind, preparing to come out, as they ran to the source of the scream. That was new. Maybe it was due to the fact that he was now fully aware of Yami’s presence.

They soon arrived at the Duelling arena to find a very giant man had gotten all of Mai’s star chips. He quite eagerly announced he disposed of duellists as a job. Tristan’s response was simple.

‘Doesn’t that make you a garbage man?’

‘This is no joke!’ Mai insisted. ‘Panik’s one of the island’s eliminators and if you don’t get out of here he’ll do the same to you as what he did to me.’

‘Eliminator?’ Yugi asked. ‘What’s that, Mai?’

‘Look!’ Panik yanked her arm up. ‘This is what she means right here! Check her duellist’s glove. Not a star chip left.’

‘But that would mean she’s been disqualified,’ Téa said.

‘You’re out, Mai?’ Yugi asked.

‘I am,’ she said. ‘It all happened so fast. The way Panik duels, I just…lost it.’

‘This isn’t right,’ Téa said.

‘Ha!’ Panik threw her forward. ‘She was one of my easiest victims yet!’

Sharee scowled. ‘I’ve met a few treasure hunters like you and they all ended up kissing the dirt.’

‘You creep!’ Joey ran forward.

Sharee put her arm out before he could pass while Tristan and Bakura grabbed his arms. She looked at him. ‘That wasn’t an invitation to attack him, Joey.’

‘I don’t care! Move it!’ Joey told them. ‘There’s no excuse for pushing a girl!’

Yugi noticed that Sharee’s eyebrows went up only for a second. Shamee had likely just told her something.

‘Cool it!’ Bakura told him. ‘I know, Joey. I know how you feel but that guy’s more than twice your size!’

‘I can take him!’ Joey insisted.

‘No, Joey. Fists aren’t the answer.’ Yugi knew what had to be done. He experimentally reached into his own mind. He felt a response and almost heard the words “I’m here”. He knew Yami was already prepared for the upcoming duel, cause Yugi sure couldn’t do it on his own. ‘Violence won’t solve anything. I’ve dealt with a lot of bullies in my life and I’m afraid there’s only one way to deal with them.’ He walked forward.

‘What do you mean?’ Joey asked.

Yugi stopped in front of Panik. He looked up and said, ‘You have to stand up to them.’ And he relinquished control of his body to Yami.

***

Yami opened his eyes. That transition was easier. He didn’t lose his sight once. Shamee was right. Yugi’s knowledge of him in his mind made the whole thing a lot easier. They’d have to find a way to speak like Shamee and Sharee did. Speaking of which, they’d switched at the same time he and Yugi had.

‘But, Yugi…’ Mai began.

‘Now, let’s see you try your intimidation tactics against me, Panik.’ Yami pointed at him accusingly. ‘I don’t scare easy, especially when I’m standing up for my friends so let’s duel!’

‘You twerp!’ Panik seized Mai’s wrist again. ‘I’ll eliminate you from the tournament just like I did her. Tell him how I trashed you!’

‘Please, Yugi,’ Mai begged.

‘Let her go, Panik!’ Yami barked. ‘If you’re looking to bully someone, try bullying me. Playtime is now over, Panik. It’s time to duel.’ He looked over his shoulder. Shamee was right where she always was – an inch back on his right side. He nodded his head.

Shamee moved over and with a quick jab to Panik’s wrist, pulled Mai out of his grip. Before he could react, she pulled Mai back from him and over to their group. Mai looked at her in confusion.

‘How’d you do that?’ Mai asked.

‘Pressure point,’ Shamee said simply.

Panik sneered and walked around to the other side while Yami walked over and stepped onto duelling platform. His friends ran to the side where they could see all the action. Joey immediately started cheering.

‘All right, Yugi! No problem! Show Panik here how we deal with dogs like him!’

A quick check with Yugi and, to Yami’s amusement, he found that Joey, Tristan and Téa thought their little spat in the Shadow Realm with the Thief King was just a dream. Like Shamee said, their minds rejected what they couldn’t understand. They came to what they believed to be a logical conclusion. And Yugi’s explanation for letting them keep that belief was also reasonable: _To be honest, I’m not really sure what to make of you. I’d like to know more about you before I tell them you’re here._

‘Yugi, huh?’ Panik asked. ‘Must by my lucky day. Pegasus has promised a generous bounty to the eliminator who defeats you. I wonder…think he’d throw in some extra cash for inflicting bodily harm? Not that I wouldn’t do it for free.’

Yami scoffed and shut his eyes. ‘You better start thinking of other ways to make money, Panik. Because after I get down with you,’ he opened his eyes, ‘not only will you be out some star chips, but you’ll be out of the job.’

‘Whoever said I was an eliminator just for the money, Yugi?’ Panik asked. ‘I’ve made enough cash to have retired long ago. But I won’t quit because there’s no better thrill than breaking weak duellists like you! So get ready, Yugi. I’m about to take you into a world of hurt!’

Ah. He was one of those. ‘I won’t be bullied by the likes of you, Panik. I play with my heart! That’s why I’ll always win against your type.’

‘You’ve never faced my type before,’ Panik said. ‘When I’m in a match with someone, there’s a lot more to it than sheer duelling strategy.’

That didn’t sound good. ‘Meaning?’

‘Panik’s ruthless, Yugi!’ Mai called. ‘He had me totally terrified!’

Panik chuckled. ‘That’s right! And she’s not the first, either. We eliminators have built our career on stalking weak players like her and strong-arming them into duelling us. You see, when you’re as good as I am, you learn to appreciate the hunt as much as the duel itself. And now I’m going to take you down just like I did Mai!’ He laughed.

Yami smirked. ‘I see how you work, Panik. Sneaking up on unsuspecting duellists because you haven’t the courage to challenge them face to face.’

That cut him off. ‘Watch your mouth, you insolent cur!’

Yami narrowed his eyes. ‘True duellists fight with honour and respect, not the underhanded tactics of a poacher!’

Panik glared at him and growled.

Yami held up his hand. ‘And to prove it, I wager all the star chips I have to win back Mai’s.’

‘It’s a deal,’ Panik said. ‘If you win, I’ll give you all eight of her star chips. The bet makes no difference to me.’

‘What do you mean?’ Yami asked.

‘What I mean, little Yugi,’ Panik seemed to be doing something on his side of the arena, ‘is that when you duel against Panik…’ Shackles came out of the duelling platform and clamped around Yami’s ankles. ‘…you’re putting much more than just your measly star chips on the line.’ Small devices came out of the edge of the arena on his side and shot fire out at him. ‘Much more!’

Yami flinched away from the fire and raised his arm to protect himself from the heat. He heard his friends calling out to him. Panik just laughed at the whole thing. Of course, this was amusing to him. That was the kind of man he was. And that told Yami a lot about what his strategy would be.

Panik pointed at him. ‘What’s the matter, Yugi, hmm? Can’t take the heat? Well, get used to it, because you’re strapped in for the long haul.’

Yami heard Joey yell over, ‘Turn it off, Panik!’

When the fire finally ceased, Yami pulled his arm down and straightened up. All right. Now he knew what he was dealing with. This was a man that would force panic to cloud his opponent’s mind. He just had one problem.

A warm, nearly forgotten voice echoed in the back of Yami’s head. _‘Fear is a luxury we cannot afford. You must be strong.’_

‘I can see the fear growing in your eyes, Yugi.’ Panik was still pointing at him. ‘I can hear you quaking in your boots. You’re beginning to realise the nightmare you’ve stepped into. I do believe, you’re beginning to panic!’

‘Get a life, you psycho!’ Téa yelled at Panik.

‘Forget this guy, Yug,’ Joey called. ‘This wasn’t part of the job description.’

‘Yeah, no joke!’ Tristan agreed. ‘Come on, let’s get you down from there, Yugi! What do you say?’

Yami just smirked. ‘Are you finished blowing smoke, Panik?’

Shamee was smirking right along with him, as a contrary to the surprise and fear of the rest of his friends.

‘It’ll take much more than cheap pyrotechnics to make me lose my cool,’ Yami said.

Panik, though clearly surprised, laughed. ‘The last time someone had the nerve to talk to me like that, I broke them in half.’

Yami gritted his teeth and exercised his powers to turn this into a Shadow Game.

‘Now, let’s duel!’ Panik snapped. The two of them drew their cards. Panik made the first move. ‘Seeing how the blaze of my fire didn’t faze you, let’s turn down the lights.’ He laid a card on the field. ‘My Castle of Dark Illusions will turn this duel into your darkest hour, Yugi.’ The Castle appeared and rose up. ‘Its magic shrouds the field in a Veil of Shadows. And the Castle itself is extra fortified thanks to the field power bonus I get for playing it at night.’

‘I’m not afraid of the dark, Panik,’ Yami said as he watched the darkness spread.

Panik chuckled. ‘You would be if you only knew the fearsome nightmares within its shade. The blanket of shadows, cast over my entire side of the field, make it impossible for you to see the creatures I summon…’

Yami’s fist tightened as he watched just that happen.

‘…but leaves your entire side exposed and vulnerable to my attacks. Unnerving, isn’t it, Yugi, how the darkness preys on your fears? On your mind! Until you’re too scared to think, too terrified to fight.’ He laughed darkly. All Yami could see was the Castle of Dark Illusions.

‘Don’t listen, Yugi!’ Mai called. ‘This is exactly he threw me off my game!’

Yami nearly didn’t hear Joey’s response. ‘Now you tell us?’

Panik went on, relentless. ‘And if you think you can storm my Castle with the help of a field power bonus of your own, think again! Because just as my shadows block the light from above, they block the field power from the ground below. Only the night grants bonuses here.’

Yami stared at it. _Without any idea what’s waiting for me in those shadows, I can’t risk an attack._ He laid down his card. _I’ll just have to play it safe for now._ ‘Celtic Guardian, defence mode!’

‘Not a very bright idea,’ Panik said.

Yami heard the sound of the duel board registering a card but… _I can’t see what monster he played!_ He narrowed his eyes.

Panik chuckled. ‘Attack.’ A pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness. ‘Dark Grasp of Fury!’ The creature moved, the darkness moving with it. Yami’s Celtic Guardian was swallowed and destroyed by the black veil, without him even seeing what the monster was. ‘Our first victim of the night.’

Yami gritted his teeth. Below him, he could hear his friends talking.

‘That’s cheap!’ Joey insisted. ‘How can you defend against what you can’t see?’

‘Yeah,’ Bakura said. ‘Yeah, or defeat a monster you can’t find? Hm…’ He was actually thinking about it.

‘Anybody got a flashlight?’ Tristan asked.

Panik laughed. ‘Even your friends have lost hope for you.’

 _I need to get his monsters out of those shadows._ Yami looked up. _But the only way I can do that is by destroying his Castle of Dark Illusions. And with its defensive points set at 2500, no card in my deck has an attack power high enough to scratch it let alone destroy it. Boy, I’m beginning to understand why they call him “Panik”. The game just started and I’m already flustered._

‘Play any monster card you like,’ Panik said. ‘The creatures within my veil of shadows will consume them all.’

Yami held up the card. ‘Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress in defence mode.’

Panik laughed. ‘This defence manoeuvring may keep your life points safe from one monster, Yugi, but not two.’ He laid another card down and another pair of eyes appeared in the shadows.

 _I hate to admit it, but he’s right._ Yami gritted his teeth at Yugi’s statement. True, but frustrating. _Defending alone won’t win this duel for me._

Panik laughed again. ‘You’re terrified, aren’t you, Yugi? Admit it. All your courage has been devoured by shadowy fog. Yes, all that’s left is a trembling little duellist, powerless to defend himself.’

Panik was obviously aware of the power of suggestion. He intimidated people, then said this kind of thing, causing it to become true. But Yami had long ago been taught not to listen to this kind of rot. _There’s gotta be some way to neutralise Panik’s Veil of Shadows. But it’s generated by his castle of Dark Illusions and that thing’s virtually impregnable. Wait a minute…I may not be able to attack Panik’s Castle, but what if I attack the darkness itself._ He flipped the card. ‘Guardian of the Fortress, take flight!’ The Guardian roared and lifted itself up. ‘Fireball attack!’ The monster spat fire at the darkness. Both Panik’s creatures screeched as they were exposed for a moment. ‘His monsters!’ Beyond that, nothing.

Panik laughed as the Guardian landed again. ‘So you saw my creatures! But I doubt it gives you the foresight to see what’s coming next. Dark Grasp of Fury!’ His monster moved forward with the shadows again. And, once more, Yami’s monster was consumed and destroyed. Yami gritted his teeth.

‘Luck’s out for your Guardian of the Fortress!’ Panik bragged as Yami’s life points dropped to 1606. ‘My creatures hungrily eye your remaining life points, Yugi! And I’ll see to it that they feed again quite soon. Has it sunk in yet, wimp? Standing up to a bully leaves you nowhere to go but down!’

Yami narrowed his eyes. _Down is right. My life points are way down, while Panik’s haven’t even been touched. His shadows have destroyed two of my best monsters while I still can’t see what I’m up against. He’s got me outmanoeuvred and overpowered, but I’m still gonna find a way to put that big bully in his place!_

Panik continued his taunts. ‘The night has eyes, Yugi.’ He laughed. ‘And all of them are on you!’

_As long as Panik’s Castle of Dark Illusions shrouds his side of the field with shadows, it’s impossible for me to see any of his monsters. But panicking about it will only make things worse, so I gotta do my best not to let him see me sweat._

‘Keep struggling, Yugi,’ Panik goaded. ‘Bullying’s so much more fun when you resist!’

Yami had an idea. ‘Tough talk, Panik, coming from someone who makes all their attacks while hiding in the safety of shadows!’

Panik sniggered and Yami had fire coming at him again. He heard Téa call out to him, ‘Yugi! Look out!’

‘You okay, pal?’ Joey called.

Yami knew that Panik would use those flamethrowers each time he didn’t like what he heard.

‘You uppity little cretin!’ Panik snapped. ‘Perhaps you should think twice before you insult someone who can scorch you with the touch of a button, huh? You’re afraid, Yugi. You’re lost and alone in the dark and I’m the big, bad, bogeyman, about to leap out and give you the scare of your life!’

Yami smirked and chuckled.

‘Huh?’ Panik grunted. ‘If you could see what I have in store for you, you wouldn’t be laughing!’

‘But that’s why I’m laughing,’ Yami said. ‘Because I can see, right through you!’

‘What?’ Panik demanded. ‘What are you talking about, you little runt?’

Yami answered. ‘You are the bogeyman, Panik, scaring children into being afraid of the dark…until they realise the dark is nothing to be afraid of, like you.’

The sound of Panik drawing back was very clear.

Yami repeated the words that were echoing in the back of his head in that warm voice. ‘Once a person conjures up the confidence not to be fearful of the unknown, they’ve disarmed the only weapon the dark has.’

‘You wish it was that simple…’ Panik began.

‘But it is that simple!’ Yami cut him off. ‘I have the card to prove it.’

‘What card?’ Panik demanded.

Yami held up the card, but so Panik couldn’t see it. ‘A card that will expose you and lift up that Veil of Shadows you cower behind.’

‘What’s that?’ Panik demanded.

‘It’s just a little something that’ll teach you a lesson in broad daylight,’ Yami said.

***

Shamee smirked. _**Very clever.**_

_What?_

‘Hey, Mai,’ Téa said. ‘Why would Yugi tell Panik his strategy?’

‘It’s panic. Same thing happened to me.’ Mai’s eyes narrowed. ‘You start making amateur mistakes.’

‘I don’t know, Mai,’ Bakura said. ‘He doesn’t look like he’s panicking.’

Instead Yami had a smirk on his face, one that Shamee recognised. It was the look he got when he knew exactly how he was going to win. Except she’d never seen it this early before. ‘He’s not. And he hasn’t told Panik his strategy.’ _**He’s just making it look that way.**_

_Why…Oh! I get it. You’re right. That is clever._

***

Yami listened to Panik laugh. ‘You almost had me, there. But we both know that card’s nothing but a big, fat bluff. Prove me wrong, Yugi! Go ahead! Let’s see you give me my “tough lesson”.’

Yami chuckled. ‘Why should I show you my card after you’ve gone to such lengths to keep yours in the dark?’

‘I think you’re stalling,’ Panik said.

‘You don’t trust me, Panik?’ Yami asked. ‘Believe it or not, not all duellists are lying dogs like you.’

Panik growled.

‘And to prove it, I’ll show you.’ He raised the card again. ‘After all, I wouldn’t want you thinking I was some kind of liar.’

‘Show me!’ Panik demanded.

‘You don’t need to prove anything to that slime, Yugi,’ Tristan called.

‘Ready, Panik? Here it is.’ He turned the card around. ‘The Swords of Revealing Light!’

‘Revealing Light?’ Panik demanded.

Yami was only too happy to explain. ‘The blinding magic of the Swords of Revealing Light not only stops all enemy monsters on the field from attacking for three full turns, but it bathes the entire field in a light so luminous that even your lurking shadow creatures will be exposed! Soon, Panik, the monsters in your dark empire will have nowhere to hide. But rather than play it now, I’ll take a page from your book, and let you worry about when and how I’ll use it – just like you do with the monsters you hide in the dark.’ He smirked again. ‘You’re going down in five turns. Five turns, Panik.’ He laid a card down. ‘Then my monsters will finish you off. Curse of Dragon! Defensive Mode!’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘And, of course…’ He took a card from his hand and laid it face-down on the duel board. ‘The card that will make you see the light.’ A grid-square on the field glowed. ‘Your five turns start now, Panik. It’s your move.’

Panik was silent for a long moment.

‘What’s the matter, Panik?’ Yami mocked him. ‘Has bullying lost its thrill?’

‘I’ll teach you about loss!’ Panik snapped. ‘Just you wait!’

***

Shamee shifted her gaze as she heard Téa asked, ‘Hey, Mai. Why’s Yugi keeping that card out if he’s not going to play it yet?’

Mai looked up and hesitated. ‘Uh…I hate to say it, guys, but it’s not a good sign.’

‘Huh?’ Téa asked.

‘I was able to keep it together for about this long too,’ she said. ‘But, after a while, Panik has a way of getting to you and making you slip up.’

Shamee looked at them. _**Am I seriously the only one who can tell just by looking?**_

_You’ve known him way too long._

‘Not my pal,’ Joey said. ‘He knows what he’s doing.’

‘I sure hope so,’ Bakura said.

‘He does,’ Tristan insisted.

‘Listen, I know Yugi’s good,’ Mai said. ‘But fighting Panik isn’t about being good. It’s about keeping a level head while you’re lost in the dark or being attacked by fire. Yugi’s gonna need guts to win this duel, not skill.’

‘Don’t worry. He’s a stolid one.’ Shamee smiled. ‘He’s been taught his whole life not to sweat.’

‘You got that right,’ said Tristan.

‘Yes, but he did just leave his best card out, fully vulnerable,’ Bakura said. ‘You don’t make those kinds of mistakes unless you’re nervous. And Panik’s not one to let a mistake like that go unpunished.’

‘True,’ Shamee said. ‘But who said Yugi made a mistake?’

They all looked at her.

***

‘Make your move, Panik,’ Yami said.

Panik laughed. ‘I must say, it was quite a daring move to illuminate me with the presence of that card, little Yugi. But it was a critical mistake to leave it on the field completely exposed!’

_**As I thought.** _

‘If you though idle cards were safe from attack, you were dead wrong!’ The sound of a card being activated. ‘Reaper of the Cards!’

Yami’s eyes narrowed. ‘The Reaper?’ He had to make this bluff work.

The Reaper began howling. ‘When the Reaper is summoned, all magic cards hear the ghostly toll of doom!’ Panik howled. ‘He’ll be sending your Revealing Card to the discard graveyard, leaving you defenceless. Reaper, attack!’ The monster charged at the hidden card.

‘Yugi!’ Joey and Téa called out to him.

‘But that card was Yugi’s only chance!’ Mai cried.

Well, he’d fooled just about everyone then. Yami knew Shamee too well to believe he’d fooled her. And vice versa. She knew he wasn’t one to lose his cool under any circumstances.

The Reaper rushed forward and brought its scythe down. Panik crowed again. ‘Your fate belongs to me now, Yugi! Call of the Graveyard!’

The Reaper froze. Nothing happened. Yami saw, out of the corner of his eye, Shamee smirking. Mai gasped.

Panik let him know he’d noticed when he stopped chuckling. ‘Huh? What’s going on? It can’t finish its attack!’

Yami laughed.

‘It should have destroyed your card!’ Panik insisted. ‘The Swords of Revealing Light.’

‘I said my Swords of Revealing Light was the card that would illuminate your monsters,’ Yami said. ‘I never said it was the one I placed on the field. You just assumed that.’

‘Seriously?’ Shamee barked out a laugh. ‘You thought he was that stupid?’

‘But if that’s not…’

Yami interrupted Panik. ‘The card I placed on the field was a different card.’ He picked up his down card and displayed the face. ‘The Spell-Binding Circle! A trap card.’

‘A trap…card…?’ Panik’s voice clearly showed his shock.

‘Yes, a trap card that snares your Reaper, stopping him dead in his tracks, encircling him in a magical prison,’ Yami said as just that happened. ‘In Duel Monsters, one must be wary of the Reaper of the Cards and its ability to send magic cards to the discard pile. I figured that you probably had one stalking around in your deck somewhere. But now that he’s frozen, unable to damage my deck, I’m free to lay whatever magic cards I want on the field.’

‘Great thinking!’ Téa called.

‘Way to put one over on him, Yug!’ Joey yelled.

‘How dare you!’ Panik yelled. ‘You fooled me!’

Yami just smiled cockily. ‘You fooled yourself, Panik. And wasted quite a powerful card too. But now that the coast is clear, I’ll really lay my Swords of Revealing Light!’ He set it down. ‘And a second magic card…both face-down.’ He set that down too, smirking the whole time.

‘Face-down?’ Panik demanded. ‘Why?’

Yami said nothing.

‘So what?’ Panik said. ‘You captured my Reaper, but he’s only one of my powerful monsters. The ones that remain will destroy you!’


	15. Winning Through Intimidation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panik is used to intimidating his opponents into defeat.
> 
> He's never faced someone like Yami before.

‘Whoa!’ Joey exclaimed. ‘Smooth move! Yugi captures one of Panik’s most powerful monsters and now he’s got two magic cards on the table to boot!’

‘So what?’ Panik demanded. ‘You captured my Reaper, but he’s only one of my powerful monsters.’

Yami smirked. ‘Getting nervous, Panik?’ He waited for the growl. ‘I may have yet to launch an effective attack against you and your night creatures but that will all change very soon.’

Shamee’s eyes narrowed. It began to occur to her. She mentally went over all of the cards she’d seen in that deck.

‘Ridiculous!’ Panik insisted. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You know what I’m talking about,’ Yami said. ‘I made you a promise that in five turns I would teach you a lesson that you would never forget and I intend to make good.’ He raised his hand. ‘You only have four turns left, Panik. Four more turns before I drag you from your shadows and show you up for the bully that you truly are.’

‘You dolt, have you forgotten whom you face here?’ Panik slammed his fist down and fine leapt up. ‘I am Panik, the Eliminator!’

Yami didn’t even flinch, not that Shamee expected him to. Instead, he kept smirking. ‘Is that supposed to scare me or are you running scared?’

***

Yami’s plan was working perfectly. ‘You can’t stall forever. Sooner or later, you’ll have to make your move.’ Even though the darkness, he could see Panik was losing it.  
‘Silence.’ His voice showed just how shaken he was. But the sound he made told Yami that he’d drawn something he’d thought to be useful.

Yami scowled.

Panik laughed. ‘This beast will win the entire match for me! King of Yami Makai!’ The sound of the card being played. ‘But don’t take my word for it.’ A growl was heard in the shadows. ‘Powered up by my field power bonus that all my monsters get from the night, my King of Yami Makai is far more powerful that you pitiful creature!’

‘Oh, no!’ Joey cried.

‘King of Yami Makai, destroy his Curse of Dragon!’ Panik hollered. The beast’s attacked crackled with electricity. ‘Now, my King of Yami Makai attack!’

Yami smirked. _**Good.**_

‘Electro-Shock attack!’ Panik ordered and the monster roared. The attack shot out of the darkness and headed…‘What? It’s veering away!’ It slammed right into the trapped Reaper. ‘Instead of destroying Yugi’s Dragon, it’s attacking my Reaper of the Cards!’ The Reaper screamed as it was electrocuted, then shattered.

Yami chuckled. ‘Your Reaper of the Cards is vanquished!’

‘All right!’ Joey cheered.

Téa clapped her hands together. ‘Panik messed up!’

‘No, my life points!’ Panik’s life points dropped down to 494. ‘Curse you and your Spell-Binding Circle! Its light drew in my energy blast and destroyed my precious monster!’  
‘They don’t do well when they dare step out of the darkness,’ Yami remarked. He reached down. ‘Now, let’s bring all your monsters into the light!’

Panik growled.

‘I dispel all your darkness, with the Swords of Revealing Light!’ Yami flipped the card over and the holographic projectors lit up brightly. So much so in fact that all but Yami and Shamee had to cover their eyes to protect their sight.

‘Stop!’ Panik cried as the Swords took form. ‘Stop it! I can’t stand the light!’

‘Your monsters are revealed!’ Yami stated as soon as the card was fully active.

‘Ha!’ Tristan cheered. ‘No one keeps Yugi in the dark!’

‘Even Panik’s cards are revealed now!’ And Téa was right. The black that had been obscuring everything vanished.

‘No more hiding, Panik,’ Yami said. ‘Your darkness will shield you no longer.’ He raised his hand once more. ‘Three turns left and then you’re finished.’ He let him growl for a moment before continuing. ‘I didn’t use the Swords just to illuminate your monsters. It also causes all your monsters on the field to be frozen for three turns, starting right now. That means you can’t make any attack while I implement my strategy.’

Panik’s eye twitched. He stood there and glared at him.

‘You’re stalling Panik,’ Yami said. ‘Afraid to draw your next card?’

Panik gritted his teeth and reached for his deck. Even from the distance, Yami saw him shake in anger before he drew the card. Panik’s eyes widened and then he chuckled. ‘And this is the card to do it!’ He was obviously continuing on from whatever he’d been thinking. ‘Yugi, you can forget your foolish delusion of defeating me in just three turns! I’ve drawn a Chaos Shield card!’

Yami’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t good. ‘Oh, no. That affects all the monsters on the field. It puts all of them in defence mode and raises their defence points!’

‘You’re thinking too small, you fool!’ Panik cried as he played it. ‘Or don’t you realise that I can combine my Chaos Shield with my Castle of Dark Illusions?’

‘This is bad!’ Mai exclaimed.

Panik explained as they watched the shield take form. ‘With this combination, I can project a defensive shield over my entire area!’

That was the grand play?

Panik sneered. ‘As long as the Chaos Shield is in place, your monsters can’t touch me. Do you still think you can defeat me in three turns, you impudent shrimp? Admit defeat now! You can see how the Shield raises the defence points of my monsters.’

 _He’s right._ In fact, the important one had gone up to 3200. _That shield protects against any possible attacks, even from my strongest monsters._

Panik laughed.

***

Mai’s muscles tensed as she watched this. May as well admit the truth. ‘I hate to say it, but Yugi really doesn’t stand a chance. Breaking duellists is what Panik does for a living. Panik is brutal, ruthless, everything the ultimate duellist needs to be.’

Their friend, who she hadn’t seen before, spoke. ‘Mai, you’ve become so cynical about Duel Monsters. And you don’t understand Yugi at all, really. There’s much more to him than meets the eye.’

Sharee nodded.

‘Joey, Yugi can win this right?’ Tristan asked.

‘Man, I wish I could tell you,’ Joey said. ‘But after the way Panik beat Mai, I got no idea what Yugi’s chances are.’

‘If he has the card in his deck that I think he does, he will,’ Sharee said.

They all turned to look at her again. Sharee, Mai noticed, always seemed to be on the same wavelength as Yugi when he was duelling. Half of his moves, she could predict quite accurately. She’d even known that he hadn’t actually laid down his Swords of Revealing Light when everyone else assumed he had.

_I wonder how a duel between the two of them would go._

‘What do you mean?’ Téa asked.

Sharee smirked. ‘I actually wouldn’t be surprised if he had it in his hand.’ The look fell from her face. ‘I just hope what he puts on it is powerful enough.’

Mai wondered which monster Sharee was talking about.

***

‘Give up!’ Panik barked. ‘Admit defeat! I’m going to crack you like an egg!’

Yami chuckled. ‘You’d like me to crack, wouldn’t you, Panik? Because it’s worked for you before: winning through intimidation, not through skill.’

‘You mock my skill?’ Panik demanded. ‘My skill is what’s defeating you!’

No, it wasn’t. ‘Don’t be so sure.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ Panik asked.

Yami smirked. ‘You think you’re winning, that your tactics are taking me by surprise. But I saw your strategy the minute I saw what kind of man you are.’

‘You’re talking nonsense,’ Panik insisted.

‘I knew you would use Chaos Shield,’ Yami said. ‘Cowardly bullies like you always try to hide behind something.’

‘Shut up!’ Panik yelled. ‘I’m in no way a coward and I never try to hide behind anything!’

‘Your whole strategy is nothing but hiding and cowering,’ Yami said calmly.

Panik drew back, his entire body now shaking in anger. Yami waited patiently.

‘You dare to call me a coward?’ Panik demanded as he worked the switches. ‘Nobody talks to me that way! I am Panik, the Eliminator!’ He brought his fist down.

Yami calmly leaned back as the two shots of fire went past him. He watched Panik pant, livid.

‘Are you finished?’ Yami snapped. ‘Or are you going to continue to hide behind your blustering embattlements, like a big coward?’

Panik growled louder than he had before.

‘The truth hurts, doesn’t it, Panik?’ Yami asked. ‘Facing up to your true self is usually more than bullies like you can bear, so you hide in the shadows.’

‘You will taunt me no longer!’ Panik snarled.

‘Yugi, he’s dangerous!’ Téa called. ‘You’ve just gotta stop stirring him up!’

‘Don’t interfere,’ Mai told her. Yami used his Millennium Puzzle to hear the rest of that. ‘Yugi’s just using Panik’s own tactics against him. It’s psych-out warfare.’

‘I will burn you to a cinder!’ Panik snapped.

‘That would prove you’re a coward,’ Yami said. ‘If you’re not afraid then you should stop hiding and play this game with honour. Or I will rip your fearsome façade away!’

‘You bluff!’ Panik insisted.

‘There’s only one way you’ll know for sure,’ Yami responded. ‘Play out this game. After all, we’ll know in two turns.’ He raised his hand. ‘Can you last? Just two turns? Do you have the courage?’

‘Do I have the courage?’ Panik demanded. ‘Panik fears no duellist! I will crush your spirit and wipe out your life points!’

‘And now, it’s my turn.’ Yami drew and smirked. ‘And my card is Gaia, the Fierce Knight!’

Gaia appeared on the field and the horse nickered.

‘Idiot!’ yelled Panik. ‘Do you really think a monster with attack power that weak can break through my Chaos Shield?’

‘Maybe not by himself, but I also have a magic card. Read it and weep.’ Yami flipped the card up.

‘A Polymerisation card?’ Panik demanded.

‘And with this card, I combine them to create Gaia, the Dragon Champion!’ Yami activated the cards and the two beasts came together to form the monster he’d just named. ‘Now my combo creature’s attack power is raised to 2600.’

‘The Dragon Champion?’ Panik demanded.

‘My turn’s over,’ Yami said. ‘But you’re finished as well.’

Panik stared at him and narrowed his eyes. He gritted his teeth and drew. Once he saw the card in his hand, he grinned. ‘Ah! Perfect!’

‘Hm?’ Yami narrowed his eyes. What had Panik drawn now?

‘Metal Guardian in defence mode!’ Panik laid the card down and the monster appeared, but it also moved. ‘He will further shield my monsters and the field power bonus raises his defence power to 2795. With him on guard, any attack against my monsters is totally impossible.’

Yami shut his eyes and sneered. ‘It figures. You’re cowering again.’

‘Insolent dog!’ Panik snapped.

‘Your strategy’s nothing but putting up defences,’ Yami said. ‘You’re showing how weak you are.’

‘Silence!’ Panik yelled. ‘In the next turn, the Swords of Light will be extinguished! Then I’ll hit you with everything at once!’

‘It’ll be too late,’ Yami announced. ‘I’ve already led you deep into my trap.’

‘What?’ Panik drew back.

‘The stronger you make your defences, the more you lock yourself into defeat,’ Yami stated.

‘That’s a joke!’ Panik insisted. ‘You’re nothing but talk!’

‘The time for talk is over.’ Yami held up one finger. ‘That was your last turn.’ He pulled a card from his hand and held it up for his opponent to see. ‘The end is now! Catapult Turtle!’

‘Yes!’ Shamee yelled as the Dragon Champion lifted up and the Turtle appeared on the field.

‘Slow and steady wins the duel, Panik,’ Yami stated. ‘For I can use the Catapult Turtle to launch Gaia, the Dragon Champion and shatter your defences.’

Panik smirked before he registered it and he drew back with an alarmed cry.

‘The Catapult Turtle raises Gaia, the Dragon Champion’s attack power all the way up to 3200,’ Yami said as just that happened and the Turtle took aim. ‘You weren’t expecting that, were you?’

‘My monster’s defence power is still much too strong for you!’ Panik lifted his hand to his face and grinned widely. ‘Protected as they are by the Chaos Shield you can’t touch them. You can only watch helplessly as they prepare to assault you next turn!’ He laughed.

‘Who said anything about attacking your monsters? What I’m attacking is…’ Yami pointed. ‘…the Castle!’

‘You fool!’ Panik sneered. ‘My Castle is still unassailable! Its walls are still invincible to any of you attacks, so I won’t take any damage at all!’

‘We’ll see about that.’ Yami extended his hand. ‘Turtle, Catapult Launch my Dragon Champion!’ The Catapult launched and the Dragon Champion shot forward, heading right for the Castle at such a high speed it looked like a very sharp blast of light.

The impact caused an explosion. Dust covered the area quickly and thickly. Light exploded out from the point of impact. Again, it was so bright that only Yami and Shamee could stand to look at it. Across the arena, Panik cried out. The light faded. Yami barely even flinched as his life points dropped down to 300.

‘Whoa!’ Tristan cried. ‘Yugi flushed a lotta points with that manoeuvre!’

‘He sacrificed his Dragon Champion!’ Joey exclaimed.

‘That’s an awfully big loss both in monsters and life points,’ Bakura said.

‘Right!’ Joey agreed. ‘And if this attack doesn’t bring down that Castle, the next turn Panik will wipe out the rest of Yugi’s life points.’

‘Well, I hope this works,’ Bakura said.

‘It has to work!’ Joey insisted.

‘I can’t see a thing!’ Téa called. ‘Wait…’

Yami watched the smoke clear and the floatation ring crack and fall off. The Castle stayed where it was. Yami kept his face composed.

‘No, it’s still floating!’ Téa cried. ‘The Castle survived!’

Shamee looked directly at her and demanded. ‘Did you miss Newton’s Law of Gravity?’

Panik laughed. ‘Fool! For all your threats, my Castle is unharmed. Your worthless attack simply knocked its flotation ring off! And now that your attack has failed, I’ll eliminate you once and for all!’ He laughed some more and Yami let him go. ‘It’s been five turns and I’m still standing, Yugi. My monsters are still contained and protected within the Chaos Shield. When this turn is over, the paralysing effects of your Swords of Revealing Light will vanish. Then on my turn I’ll attack with all of my monsters and wipe you out forever!’

Yami smirked. ‘There is no next turn for you,’ Yami said. ‘This duel has already ended.’

‘It’s not over,’ Panik insisted.

Yami decided to explain Shamee’s last comment to all present. ‘Doesn’t it seem strange to you that a Castle that has lost its floatation ring is somehow still floating?’ He waited for the growl of confusion. ‘What if the Swords of Revealing Light had locked in place not only your monsters, but your Castle as well? Then what would happen next?’

Understanding entered Panik’s eyes and he raised his head. ‘It…can’t be!’

Yami pointed at him. ‘Right now the only thing holding up your Castle are the Swords of Revealing Light. And when this turn ends, each and every Sword will vanish.’

‘But…that means…!’

‘It’s over! And now your world’s about to come tumbling down.’

Panik screamed. ‘No! No one defeats Panik!’

Yami raised his fist, thumb raise upwards. ‘My turn…’ He turned in downwards. ‘…is over.’

The Swords faded and vanished. With that, the Castle of Dark Illusions began to slide downwards. Panik’s monsters rushed forward and pushed against the inside of the Chaos Shield. Yami really did feel sorry for the creatures, but he knew they weren’t really dying.

‘Run, monsters! Get out of the way!’ Well, at least Panik cared about them somewhat.

‘It’s no good.’ Yami raised his hand. ‘The Chaos Shield is keeping them from running anywhere! You’ve trapped them all inside.’

All the monsters screamed as they were crushed, all except for the Metal Guardian in front. Dust was kicked up as the Castle landed and crumbled, covering everything. Yami watched Panik’s life points drop to zero.

‘He won!’ Téa cheered.

‘And Panik’s not taking it well!’ Joey pumped his fist into the air.

‘I’ll say!’ Tristan called. ‘Panik’s having a panic attack!’

And he wasn’t wrong either. Panik was leaned over his duel board, shaking in rage. ‘Nobody…beats Panik. Nobody!’ He looked up. The rage in his eyes built and built. Yami was expecting to be attacked by an inferno.

Panik raised his clenched fist above his head. ‘I may not have defeated you, Yugi!’ he screamed. ‘But I can still eliminate you!’ He brought the fist down. There was a loud crash.

‘Back!’ Shamee barked, grabbing Mai and Téa and pulling them away from the flames that were quickly engulfing the entire arena.

‘Yugi!’ Tristan called.

‘He’s trapped by the fire!’ Joey yelled. ‘And he can’t escape.’ The shackles were still around his ankles.

‘We’ll see who’s the coward now!’ Panik crowed as more flamethrowers came out of the front of his duelling platform. ‘Fire!’

The flames shot right at him but Yami used the power of his Millennium Puzzle. The Millennium Eye glowed on his forehead and a force-field was created around him. As soon as they came close to him, the flames fanned out, leaving him untouched.

‘Yugi’s going to be fried to a crisp!’ Téa called. ‘Yugi!’

‘Jump out of the way!’ yelled Bakura.

The flames were still swimming around them when Panik noticed. ‘You…survived…How can this be? It’s impossible.’

No. ‘My Millennium Puzzle protects me from your cowardly assault.’ He watched Panik begin to back away, only stopping when he ran into the safety bar. Yami went on. ‘But nothing will protect you from…’ He extended his hand and exercised his shadow powers. ‘…oblivion!’

Panik cried out as he fell through the flames and to the ground below, his mind sent to the Shadow Realm and his body injured, trapped in a permanent coma.

***

When Yami came down, Shamee watched in amusement. Mostly at how Joey taught Mai a lesson in his own way. Learn to suck up your pride and accept help. It wasn’t just an act of friendship either. Shamee had felt it growing in his heart and this act of his, helping her see herself twice, had planted the seeds in hers.

‘I’m such a sensitive guy!’ Joey stated, stretching up high.

Tristan chuckled doubtfully as they all started walking away. ‘Yeah. When you’re not being a pain.’

‘Which is most of the time,’ Téa added, causing most of them to start laughing. Yami and Shamee just had amused smirks on their faces, though.

‘Ah!’ Joey boasted. ‘My adoring fans!’

‘Yugi!’ Mai called. ‘Wait.’

Yami and Shamee both stopped and turned around first.

‘I’ll repay you for what you did today,’ she said. ‘You’re the one who won these so, far as I’m concerned, I still owe you.’ She looked down at them. ‘More…than I’ve ever owed anyone.’ She looked back up at him. ‘And when we finally do face each other in a duel, it’ll be an honourable one!’

‘Sounds good,’ Téa said.

‘Yes,’ Yami said. ‘An honourable one. That’s a duel I’d look forward to, Mai.’


	16. The Scars of Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba finally makes it to the island.

Sharee, Yugi and Bakura were the only ones still awake. They were sitting in a circle and staring down. Sharee supposed for most what they were seeing was very odd compared to what they would get.

‘Bakura, am I seeing things or is your Millennium Ring actually glowing?’ Yugi asked.

‘If it’s not then we’re both hallucinating.’ Bakura raised the Ring.

‘No, it’s really glowing,’ Sharee said. ‘When I did my homework on the Items, I found the Millennium Ring is capable of tracking other Millennium Items.’

‘That’s kind of spooky, don’t you think?’ Yugi asked. ‘But that would explain why it’s pointing.’

‘Yes,’ Bakura said. ‘It’s almost like its being tugged toward the castle. Actually its done this twice before.’

‘Really?’ Sharee asked. ‘When?’

‘The day I met you two,’ Bakura said. ‘I had just been transferred to your school. The first time I was watching you guys play Duel Monsters when suddenly my Ring started to glow and pointed right towards your Millennium Puzzle. And, you Sharee, you were telling off a teacher in the hallway and the same thing happened again, except that time it pointed at your Millennium Bandanna.’

‘So those pointers are somehow able to zone-in on other Millennium Items,’ Yugi concluded.

‘Then why would it point to the castle?’ Bakura asked.

‘Because of what’s inside the castle,’ Yugi said.

Sharee nodded. ‘Pegasus. He’s got the Millennium Eye.’

‘That’s what took my grandpa’s soul,’ Yugi explained.

‘My, it’s all kinda scary, eh?’ Bakura remarked. ‘Pegasus grabbing souls with his and I’ll never forget when mine took a soul to the Shadow Realm.’

Yugi nodded. They were silent for a few minutes before Sharee heard something. As the daughter of an Egyptologist, all of her senses were honed for the slightest noises. Getting to her feet and walking over to the edge of the cliff, Sharee reached into her jacket breast pocket and pulled out a set of miniature fold-up binoculars. Popping them open, she raised them to her eyes and looked out in the direction of the sound.

‘What’s wrong?’ Yugi asked.

‘Helicopter.’ Sharee lowered the binoculars. ‘Kaiba, I think. He’s heading this way and from the way he’s flying that thing, I wouldn’t be half-surprised if he landed in this very clearing.’

They waited until all three of them could hear the helicopter blades. Sharee moved back as soon as she saw that she was right. The three of them watched the helicopter rise up and hover for a moment as Kaiba picked his landing grounds.

‘Wow,’ Bakura breathed. ‘Look at that!’

‘You’ll have all night to admire it, Bakura. Back, back, back!’ She grabbed the boys’ arms and tugged them back.

‘What the…?’

‘Hey! Wha…?’

It’d woken Tristan and Joey up.

‘Relax!’ Sharee called back. ‘Just Kaiba landing!’

‘Hey!’ Joey yelled. ‘Some of us are trying to get some shut-eye here you insensitive jerk!’

‘What is that?’ It’d woken up Téa too.

‘Will you just land the damn thing!’ Sharee shouted as loud as she could. Seriously, he was just hovering! What, was he trying to be an omen of doom?

But the helicopter came down and landed. Sharee felt Joey, Tristan and Tea run over and stop at hers, Yugi’s and Bakura’s backs. The door opened and, as she’d expected, Seto Kaiba stepped out.

‘Happy?’ he asked with a sarcastic smirk.

‘What’s he doing here?’ Joey asked.

Sharee rolled her eyes. ‘Gee, I don’t know. Yugi only dealt with that impostor a few hours ago.’

‘Hm.’ Kaiba’s eyes narrowed. ‘I take it you found out who that was?’

Sharee knew that was just a side interest so he would know whose butt to kick if he ever ran into him. ‘Yes, but no name. That would require a long story and I doubt you want to hear me talking for that long. All you need to know is he ain’t coming back anytime soon.’

Kaiba nodded once. Yugi walked over to him.

‘I haven’t seen you since our duel, Yugi,’ Kaiba said.

Yugi nodded. ‘Oh.’ He dug into his pocket. ‘Here, your deck.’ He handed it back. ‘I was keeping it for you after I beat your impostor. Just think of it as a thank you for that duel you helped me win.’

Kaiba took the deck. ‘Thanks. You’ll be compensated for all of your trouble.’

Sharee chuckled. ‘Typical businessman.’

‘Huh?’ Yugi asked.

Kaiba stopped and looked at Sharee. ‘About your sister…’

Sharee heard that and laughed. She could guess what he was really asking. ‘That firewall was an accident.’

‘An accident?’ Kaiba asked.

Sharee shrugged. ‘Shauna created it when she was tinkering with spyware and anti-virus software a few years ago. A diagnostics told her what it was, beyond that we have no clue how you would actually go about programming it.’

‘I see.’ Kaiba went to leave.

‘Wait a minute…’ Joey took a step forward, only to be stopped by Sharee’s arm.

‘Drop it, Joey,’ she said. ‘You can be angry about being woken up in the middle of the night but I don’t think Kaiba should waste anymore time. He should just get to his brother.’

Joey drew back, as was Sharee’s intention. She knew Joey would back off at the thought of someone’s younger sibling in trouble. Even if that someone was Kaiba. Speaking of him, that got his attention.

‘You’ve seen Mokuba?’

Sharee turned and shrugged. ‘How do you think Yugi got into that duel in the first place? Mokuba escaped from Pegasus’s castle…’ she pointed to the building in question. ‘…and then we found him. But Kimo found us and grabbed him. Part of the deal of the duel was they let him go if Yugi won but…you can probably work out the rest.’

Kaiba nodded and walked towards the castle.

Sharee called after him, not expecting him to even stop. ‘It’s a medieval Scottish one! There’ll probably be a direct entrance to the dungeon from outside!’ And she was right. He didn’t stop, but she knew he had heard her. She turned back to her friends. ‘Right. We should get back to sleep.’

***

Yugi and Sharee were still awake hours later, but they were the only ones. Yugi just couldn’t sleep and he got the feeling that Sharee was a light sleeper. That and she’d probably slept her whole ride here.

‘How did you find your Millennium Bandanna?’ Yugi asked.

‘Well, it was in the Forbidden Valley,’ Sharee said.

Yugi’s eyes widened. ‘That doesn’t sound too good.’

‘Oh, it wasn’t.’ Sharee smiled. ‘It was called that because all who dared enter never came out again. That was Shamee’s doing, but those were her orders and she didn’t kill everyone.’

Yugi blinked. ‘Can you explain that?’

‘Sure.’ Sharee nodded. ‘Ancient Egyptian society, where Yami and Shamee came from, was very different to ours. For example, their Head of State, the Pharaoh, was considered a living embodiment, or the son, of their God, Horus. And, unless you were a guard or a member of his household, there was a certain distance you wouldn’t be allowed to come within. If you did, you could very well be killed on the spot.’

Yugi’s eyes widened. ‘Even if it was an accident?’

‘Yes,’ Sharee said. ‘Even then.’ She smiled. ‘But from what Shamee remembers, there were a few Pharaohs that were more benevolent than the others. They’d give you a chance to explain yourself, or they saw you didn’t intentionally come within the distance, and you had a chance to get out alive rather than being struck dead where you stood.’

‘That sounds horrible,’ Yugi said.

‘Well, it was ancient times,’ Sharee said. ‘You’ll find most places are like that. What was even more bizarre was their afterlife.’

‘Yeah, I have actually heard of that,’ Yugi said.

Sharee grinned at him. ‘Do you know what you have to be like to get in? I’ll tell you and, by the way, this starts from when you’re born. Never kill, never swear, never lie, never make anyone cry, never eat any heart, never attack anyone, never break the law, never lose your temper, never stir up trouble and never raise your voice.’

‘No one could possibly do that!’ Yugi insisted.

‘No, they couldn’t,’ Sharee said. ‘Shamee said most of the Royal Household knew that but they kept it up because it kept the country ordered.’

‘Shamee was in the Royal Household?’ Yugi asked.

‘I’m guessing based on how she was dressed when we met.’ Sharee grinned. ‘I was fourteen and she let dad and me into her tomb. Whether or not she killed someone was based on how she read their heart. If they had a black heart, they died. If they had a good one, she removed them from the valley and wiped their mind of memory of entrance and intent to do so again.’

‘So people were spared?’ Yugi asked. ‘What about how she dressed told you she was from the Royal Household?’

‘It’s unlikely anyone outside of it would wear just that much gold.’ Sharee held up her left hand. ‘A wedding ring on the finger and that was usually it.’

‘They had those back then?’ Yugi asked.

‘That’s where the tradition started.’ Sharee nodded once. ‘When I found the Bandanna, I touched the eye and that was my agreement to share my body.’ She chuckled. ‘But I wouldn’t call what’s happened to us “possession”. It’s far too nice for that.’

‘Really?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee nodded. ‘Look at what happened to Bakura. That was more characteristic of having someone else occupy your body, except for the removing his soul away bit.’

‘Where does the soul usually go then?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee tapped her skull. ‘It’s locked into your Chamber of the Mind while the spirit takes control of your body. But you still have the ability to break out and give it the boot.’

Yugi blinked. ‘What’s the Chamber of the Mind?’

‘It’s a room that everyone has in their mind,’ Sharee said. ‘It reflects what kind of mind and heart you have.’ She leaned back on her elbows. ‘You and I would have two chambers. One for us and one for our Ancient Egyptian friends. That means that they accept and respect that these are not their bodies.’

‘So that’s rare then?’ Yugi asked.

‘Ye…hm?’ She sat up, a curious expression on her face.

‘What’s the matter?’ Yugi asked.

‘It seems that Shamee wants to speak with Yami,’ she said. ‘She wants to talk about their missing memories – without a possible uninvited audience.’

‘You mean Pegasus?’ Yugi asked.

‘Well, he did invite us here,’ Sharee said. ‘He could have cameras set up all over the island as well as duelling arenas.’

Yugi nodded. ‘So how do we do this?’

‘I’ll show you,’ Sharee said. ‘We’ll end up in our Chamber of the Mind when we establish the contact and Shamee’s told me she and Yami are going to hold it. To the outside world, it’ll look like we’re only sleeping.’

The two of them sat opposite from each other. They crossed their legs and rested their hands on their knees. Sharee gently guided Yugi and, he imagined, Shamee was guiding her.

Their Millennium Items glowed and a beam of light shot between the two eye symbols. Both of the kids slowly slumped down and, true to Sharee’s word, appeared to be merely asleep.

***

Shamee looked around her Chamber of the Mind as she waited. It looked like a room that she probably would have been in frequently when she was alive. Finest linen and stone walls lined with gold. Shamee felt the shift and smiled, walking out.

Around her, she saw a dark corridor and three other doors beside the one she’d just walked out of. Two of them – the ones on the other side of the corridor – were ordinary modern-day doors but the other one on her side was wrought iron and had a millennium eye on it.

Shamee strode down the corridor to that one. A knock on the door and then she pushed it open. Inside, she found Yami standing there. He was clearly waiting for her, standing there with one hand on his hip and a confident smile on his face.

‘Enter, Shamee.’

‘I had intent to,’ Shamee said as she walked in and the door closed behind her.

‘You wanted to speak to me?’ Yami asked.

‘The memories we lost,’ Shamee said. ‘I don’t remember why we lost them, why it happened that was. I should think I should remember that. I was wondering if you did.’

Yami sighed and dropped his head. ‘I’m afraid I’m quite as lost to that as you.’

Shamee frowned and folded her arms across her chest, thinking. ‘Regardless, we must’ve left some clues. I can’t find anything in my Chamber. What about you?’

Yami turned around and clicked. Shamee started as his unconscious mind was exposed to her. It looked disjointed and mixed up. She scratched her head. ‘This is the most confusing maze I’ve ever seen.’ Even without her full memories, she knew that for certain.

Yami nodded and turned back to her. ‘The odds are I did it myself.’

‘To hide the memories?’ Shamee asked. ‘I’d say that’s a distinct possibility. Shall we take a look?’ She stepped forward.

‘I do frequently,’ Yami said.

Shamee nodded. ‘But I can feel something. Its path is very clear.’

‘You can?’ Yami nodded. ‘Then lead the way.’

Shamee led him into his own subconscious mind. They ran up several flights of stairs and around corners. She could feel the guidance was coming from her own mind. But, if that was so…

‘Why can’t you find anything?’ Shamee called back. ‘Your shadow powers are far superior to mine!’

‘I don’t know, but you have more memories,’ Yami responded. ‘That may have something to do with it.’

‘I have more memories because Sharee knows enough about our birth society to wake them up.’ Shamee shook her head as she ran. ‘But these are your memories. I shouldn’t have more access to them than you!’

When Shamee and Yami finally came to a stop in front of a door. It was gold-encrusted and had their birth language on the door. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics read “this is where it began”.

Shamee turned and looked at Yami. ‘What do you think?’

‘I think we need to see what’s behind that door.’ Yami reached over and grasped the handle. Turning it, he pushed it open.

Neither of them could have ever been prepared for what happened. A fist of blackness came out and knocked them both back. Shamee was shocked by what happened next. She had a vision of smog and fire. It took her a moment to realise her sight was moving through a burning city, and she could hear Yami screaming in pain.

***

Yami felt as though he was on the ground, a thousand terrors running through his mind. Like something was in there, pressing these images into his consciousness. They showed a thousand different ways humanity could end. They were too horrible to describe. Each way was done with full intent and whatever was tearing into his mind was fully capable of each and every one of them. Of that, he was certain.

Yami threw himself back from his vision and found himself sitting on the ground, leaning back on his arms. The door was closed again. Shamee was sitting a few meters away from him.

‘What in the name of Ra was that?’ Shamee demanded.

‘The reason our memories were locked away.’ Yami’s eyes narrowed and he climbed to his feet. ‘Whatever it was we were fighting, we couldn’t defeat it. There were a thousand horrendous ways it could end humanity and it was going to do so.’

‘That’s why you were screaming,’ Shamee murmured.

‘Yes,’ Yami said. ‘And the human race is still here. If we couldn’t defeat it, we must have locked it away instead.’

‘You must have, you mean,’ Sharee responded. ‘I didn’t have shadow powers back then, remember?’

Yami nodded once. ‘That means our memories were buried because there’s something in them, something in every memory we have that could release whatever it is we were fighting. Our memories were buried to keep that thing trapped.’

‘At least until we can find a way to defeat it,’ Shamee said. ‘That must mean we’re the only ones that can stop it – or you are.’ She smiled at him. ‘Well, that’s two mysteries solved!’

‘Two?’ Yami looked at her.

Shamee nodded. ‘I noticed when you’re afraid you’ll lose, you freeze up. You don’t react well. I wondered why that was and now I have my answer. Whatever…that thing did to you when it defeated you, it traumatised you. If even the idea of defeat comes to your mind, your mentality goes back to that!’ She pointed at the door.

Yami stared at her for a moment and then looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets. ‘Every time I do begin to lose…I feel afraid. I never knew why. In part, I’m glad to have it answered why I feel the way I do even when there’s no reason for it.’

‘You’re right.’ Shamee nodded. ‘It always had very little to do with whatever is at stake at the time. I’ve known you long enough to know that. But it has everything to do with what happened five thousand years ago. Those are the scars of defeat.’

Yami looked at her. ‘Now that I know what’s caused that pain, perhaps I can do something about it.’

Shamee nodded and gave him a thumb’s up.


	17. The Arena of Lost Souls Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey meets Bandit Keith when he is abducted by him and his lackeys.
> 
> Sharee's tracking skills come in handy.

Yugi looked up as the last of their group joined them. ‘Good morning, Téa.’

‘Where’s Mai?’ Joey asked. ‘Isn’t she with you?’

‘She said she had to go.’ Téa pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and handed it over. ‘And to give you this note, Yugi.’

‘Huh?’ Yugi took the note and his friends gathered around as he read it. **I owe you eight star chips. See you around. Mai.** What made him blush was the lipstick kiss on the bottom of the note. ‘Oh…’

‘Kiss those chips goodbye,’ Tristan said.

‘I don’t know,’ Yugi said. ‘Maybe we really can trust Mai.’

‘And if not…’ Joey paused. ‘Well, we’re still the team supreme, right?’

‘Right!’ the rest of them cheered.

‘Okay then!’ Joey raised his hand victoriously. ‘Move out!’

***

They were walking through the forest. Sharee looked over as Bakura said, ‘I wonder how many duellists there are left on the island.’

‘They shipped a couple dozen home yesterday,’ Joey said.

‘And I bet even more have been eliminated by now,’ Téa added.

‘Probably, yeah,’ Sharee agreed.

‘And some of them were really good players with powerful cards too,’ Yugi said. ‘We could be next.’

‘Not a chance, Yug,’ Tristan said. ‘Those other guys just wanted the prize. You and Joey have a lot more at stake.’

Yugi looked back at him. ‘That’s true. I’ve gotta rescue grandpa from Pegasus and Joey needs the prize money to help his sister. And the duellists we face today will be even stronger, because they survived the first round.’

They kept on walking. Sharee suddenly noticed something. Hers eyes flickered around, trying to find what she needed. But all she saw was trees and bushes. Joey suddenly jumped.

‘Did you hear that?’ he asked. ‘I think we’re being followed.’

‘I think that you’re getting a little paranoid, Joey,’ Téa said.

‘Maybe,’ Sharee said. ‘But I got a feeling…and I usually get this right before treasure hunters jump out at me.’

‘See?’ Joey demanded, stopping and turning. ‘I’m telling you – somebody’s stalking us!’ He ran off.

‘Where are you going?’ Tristan asked.

‘To stalk them!’ Joey called back.

***

Joey stood, drying his hands. ‘Maybe Téa was right. I guess all I heard was the waterfall.’ He couldn’t let it get to him like that. It wouldn’t do any good. Suddenly, he heard something behind him and turned. There was a big, brawny guy standing behind him. In his experience that was never good, especially the way he was rubbing his knuckles. ‘Can I help you?’

In the next instant, his world turned back. And he was going to wake up to a very scary nightmare.

***

Yugi was starting to worry. ‘Joey’s been gone an awfully long time.’

‘You don’t suppose he got lost?’ Téa asked.

‘Nah, that’d be too simple.’ Sharee suddenly ran ahead.

‘Sharee? Wait!’ Yugi led the chase after her.

As she ran, Sharee seemed to be making an effort to keep her speed down. She was still running fast, but her speed was something. She didn’t seem to have any problems keeping it up either.

‘Hey, slow down!’ Tristan called.

‘Keep up!’ she called back.

Sharee’s head seemed to stay down too. It was like she was following something. She jumped roots and rocks without ever stumbling, while they were half tripping on their own feet and also on the obstacles. But somehow, she managed to stay within their sight.

When they finally caught up to her it was because she’d stopped by a waterfall. She was looking down at it too. In her hand was a wet men’s handkerchief. She didn’t even turn around as they caught up to her.

‘Joey was knocked out and dragged off,’ Sharee said.

Yugi, Tristan, Téa and Bakura looked at her.

‘How can you know that?’ Bakura asked.

‘Found this in the water, after I followed Joey’s footprints here.’ Sharee held it up. She then pointed to the dirt. ‘That’s his face print. He hit the ground.’ She drew her finger down. ‘And the disruption of the dirt shows he was hauled over someone’s shoulder and then presumably carried off.’

They all leaned over and looked.

‘Man, you’re a regular Sherlock Holmes, aren’t you?’ Tristan remarked. ‘So which way did they go?’

‘Hm…’ Sharee looked around the ground and then pointed. ‘This way!’

***

Sharee followed the footprints, running at a pace that she knew her friends would be able to keep up with. She was fully aware that they weren’t as used to this lifestyle as she was but going slow got on her nerves. The years of Egyptology with her father made tracking easy.

‘Are you sure you know where you’re going?’ Téa called.

‘Relax!’ Sharee called back. ‘If you can find an artefact that hasn’t been seen in centuries, you can find just about anything.’

‘And you’ve done that?’ Yugi called.

‘Not alone! But I was with my dad the times when he did it!’ Sharee spotted something up ahead and slowed down. She stopped and scooped it up, allowing her friends to catch up to her. It looked like Joey’s wallet. Sharee flicked it open and pressed her lips together. Well, they were on the right track.

‘Hey, that’s Joey’s wallet!’ Tristan exclaimed.

‘With a picture of his sister, Serenity,’ Téa added.

‘Joey would never be careless enough to lose that,’ Tristan said. ‘His sister means more to him than anything.’ He paused and his brow furrowed. ‘All right, Sharee. You were right. It’s looking a lot like foul play.’

‘Told you.’ Sharee handed it back over her shoulder to Tristan. ‘And I’m thinking that cave looks like a good place to drag someone.’

They all twisted around. Tristan frowned. ‘I don’t like the look of this.’ But he went ahead.

‘Neither do I,’ Yugi said as they went.

When they were inside, Sharee decided this could be one of many caves.

‘What is this place?’ Tristan asked.

‘I’ll bet it leads to a duelling arena that makes you want to fill your pants,’ Sharee said. Looked about right for it too.

‘I’d say so,’ Yugi agreed. ‘Be careful. It could be some kind of trap.’

‘What’s up with those coffins?’ Téa asked.

‘One way to know for sure.’ Sharee walked forward ahead of them and opened one of the coffins, jumping back. As she did the other one opened. Two skeletons fell forward. Sharee shook her head as her friends all yelped. She’d seen stuff worse than this.

‘Zombie field power bonus, I’d say,’ she muttered.

‘That Pegasus has sure got a sick sense of humour,’ Tristan remarked.

Yugi looked up. ‘You said it, Tristan.’

‘Come on.’ Sharee led them onwards. This time she went slow because she knew it was more important to be cautious than fast here.

‘I guess being raised around Egyptian tombs came in handy, huh?’ Yugi asked.

‘I wasn’t raised entirely around the tombs,’ Sharee said. ‘Just more than Shauna. I much prefer studying ancient mysteries to modern computer programs.’

‘I’ve never heard anything about your sister,’ Téa said. ‘Not until Kaiba brought her up.’

‘I’m just in Domino City with dad,’ Sharee said. ‘Only for a short time too. Shauna’s back in America with mom.’

‘Your parents are divorced?’ Tristan asked.

Sharee smiled over her shoulder. ‘Reasonable assumption, but no.’

‘So why is your family living in two different countries then?’ Bakura asked.

‘Long story.’ Sharee looked around carefully as they continued walking. ‘But let’s just call it a favour for a friend. Something that needs to be done and we’re best for the job.’


	18. The Arena of Lost Souls Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey vs the zombie-based deck of Bonez.

Sharee had to stop running when she heard the others stop. They were all panting for breath. Turning around, she watched them fight to catch their breaths. All three of them were out of breath. Wait…three?

‘Still no sign of Joey,’ Tristan said when he caught his breath.

‘Yeah,’ Yugi said.

‘Hey!’ Tristan looked back. ‘Where’s Bakura?’

Yugi and Téa looked.

‘We didn’t take any turns,’ Téa pointed out. ‘So where could he have gone?’

Yugi frowned. ‘I don’t know, Téa.’

There was a familiar scream from back there. Sharee folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. She heard Shamee sniggering in her mind. Due to the desire to hide the extra presence from all but Yugi, Sharee was only pretending she was finding the way entirely by evidence left by Joey and his attackers.

‘Did you hear that?’ Yugi asked.

‘Sounded like Bakura,’ Téa said.

Tristan called out into the tunnel. ‘Hey, Bakura! This way!’

Bakura ran into sight, still screaming. ‘Help me!’ There was a skeleton on his back. Yugi, Téa and Tristan screamed and ran from it. Sharee just stood there, waiting. As soon as Bakura passed her, still yelling for help, Sharee’s hand snapped out and she yanked the pile of bones from his back.

Bakura tripped and Sharee grinned. ‘It’s off.’

Yugi, Téa and Tristan walked back, all out of breath again. Sharee dropped the skeleton and Tristan stomped on the skull, smashing it. That told her that none of the skeletons down here were real. Real bones in that condition wouldn’t shatter that easily.

‘From now on, don’t go picking up any hitchhikers,’ Tristan said.

Yugi sighed. ‘You gave us all quite a scare with that skeleton, Bakura.’

‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘Never mind that.’ Tristan turned to Sharee. ‘Shall we keep moving? We have to find Joey.’

Sharee nodded and turned her head. She started leading them onwards again, back to running. But that soon stopped. They’d reached a fork. Two tunnels that Joey could have been taken down.

‘Which way do we go now?’ Tristan asked. ‘Anybody got any ideas?’

Sharee looked down and noticed the ground, even as she listened to Téa’s sarcastic response. ‘Gee, both ways look so inviting!’  
Bakura suddenly yelled in shock. ‘Hey, my foot!’

Sharee turned her head. He’d stood on a triggering mechanism – a modern one. Sharee backed over to the entrance to the tunnel on the right. They heard rumbling. That usually meant stone-moving-on-stone.

‘What is that sound?’ Tristan asked.

‘I stepped on a switch or something,’ Bakura said.

‘Quiet now,’ Yugi cautioned.

Bakura slapped his hands over his mouth.

‘Listen,’ Tristan said. ‘Now the sound’s getting louder.’

Téa stared. ‘I think it’s coming this way.’

‘Yeah, but just what’s coming this way?’ Yugi responded.

‘Oh, dear.’ Poor Bakura was shaking like a cold dog.

‘Boulder, I think,’ Sharee said.

No sooner had she finished speaking than did a boulder appear, rolling towards them at a high speed. Yugi, Tristan, Bakura and Téa all ran down the tunnel on the left. Sharee stood there, blinking. Then she looked up.

‘More dust should have fallen…’ Sharee smirked and walked after the boulder. ‘That’s not real.’

‘Why is that boulder chasing us?’ she heard Téa ask.

_Because of the way the ground is formed._

‘Because we’re downhill!’ Tristan called.

Close enough, Sharee supposed. Bakura was panting a mantra of “I’m sorry”. This was all very amusing. When she heard them call out to the holder of the Millennium Ring, Sharee walked a little faster. Sure enough, she found Bakura lying on the ground, startled.

‘Get run over?’ Sharee asked.

Bakura lifted his head and looked at her.

Sharee laughed. ‘That’s not a real boulder.’ She pulled him to his feet and dragged him onwards. They heard a loud bang and walked forward to find Yugi, Tristan and Téa staring shocked as parts of the “boulder” floated down. Bakura was still shocked himself. Sharee walked forward. ‘It’s just a balloon…’ She leaned down and picked up the object on the ground. ‘…with a speaker inside.’

Yugi recovered first. ‘Somebody wired that thing for sound and I’m bettering it was Pegasus! Pegasus spared no expense to scare us half to death.’

***

Yugi and the others followed Sharee again. She pointed out the ground, explaining how she knew it would go into the left-hand cave. The ground was curved downwards leading that way so anything rolling would turn to the left.

Then Sharee was leading them down. They soon heard voices. Somebody sounded like they were gloating. Soon, though, they saw Joey standing on one of the duelling platforms.

‘Joey!’ they all called.

Joey spun around. ‘Guys!’

‘So were you invited down here or dragged?’ Sharee asked.

‘Would I come down here willingly?’ Joey pointed back at the group on the other side of the arena. ‘Those three creeps there ganged up on me and forced me into this crazy duel.’

‘Whoa!’ Tristan looked at Sharee. ‘Looks like you were right.’

‘The underhanded tactics of a mugger.’ Sharee looked at the one in the shades. ‘I guess that’s why you’re called _Bandit_ Keith.’ Yugi recognised the name.

‘Hm.’ He smirked. ‘My reputation precedes me.’

Sharee scratched the end of her nose. ‘No. I was in the crowd when you got toasted by Pegasus.’

Bandit Keith’s face tightened. The two other guys got between Joey and them. Sharee took one step forward.

‘Big boys,’ she remarked. ‘Let me guess. You’re stopping us from getting any closer?’

They just smirked. That was enough to tell them yes. Yes, they were. Tristan took a step forward, an angry expression on his face, but he was stopped by Sharee’s arm. She said nothing.

Suddenly, in a move not even Yugi was expecting, she shot forward. She went for the big guy. He drew his fist back to punch her, but Sharee ducked down from the blow and twisted her body, bringing her knee up and into the bottom of his ribcage. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and started to go down but before he fell very far, Sharee jumped up and used his shoulder for a surface. She grabbed on, swung around and kicked the other guy in the head, sending him flying forward, past them, and crashing into a wall.

When the bigger guy hit the ground, Sharee landed on her feet just past him. Bandit Keith and the other one were gawking. Yugi was pretty stunned himself. Sharee, who usually held them back from fighting big guys, was fully capable of it herself.

Sharee straightened up. ‘If you have a big frame, it just means your pressure points are bigger. Haven’t you ever heard of David and Goliath?’

‘Well, colour me impressed,’ Joey said.

‘This duel’s over,’ Tristan said.

‘If you do, the duel will belong to me,’ Bandit Keith said.

‘The duel is illegal!’ Téa insisted.

‘Right, Téa,’ Bakura said.

‘Wrong, Téa,’ Bandit Keith disputed. ‘When he threw down his star chips, he accepted the duel.’

‘In that case, Joey,’ Tristan said. ‘You’re just gonna have to beat these punks. And if you’re gonna need a little added motivation…’ He threw Joey’s wallet to him. ‘…try this!’

Joey caught his wallet and opened it. ‘Huh? Serenity?’

‘That’s right, Joey, your sister,’ Tristan said. ‘You’re duelling for her.’

‘Thanks, man,’ Joey said.

‘So what’s it going to be?’ Bandit Keith asked. ‘You gonna cut and run, dweeb, or are you going to part with your star chips the hard way?’

‘So you’re Bandit Keith?’ Yugi asked, frowning.

‘I’ve heard that name somewhere before,’ Téa said.

‘Yeah, he’s the Intercontinental Champion,’ Yugi told her. ‘He’s only lost one Duel Monsters Championship and that was to Pegasus himself.’

‘Yeah, and even if he is the bad guy, it was pretty funny.’ Sharee smirked at Bandit Keith’s scowl. ‘Though not from your perspective, I suppose.’

Joey turned back to the game. ‘No wonder Skull-Face there has outsmarted me at every turn.’

‘Which is why you ought to pack it up and go home, dweeb,’ Bandit Keith said. ‘Cause I’ve given my little pal, Bonez, here the perfect strategy.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Sharee said. ‘There’s no such thing as the perfect strategy.’

Bandit Keith sneered. ‘You couldn’t beat him with every card in your deck.’

‘You’ve fought your last card, Joey,’ Bonez said. ‘You’re about to join the other zombies in this graveyard field.’

‘A graveyard field?’ Yugi asked.

‘Wait!’ Sharee said. ‘All zombie monsters have a defence power of zero, don’t they? That makes them impervious to destruction and every time you try, the attack points rise?’

‘That’s right, girlie,’ Bandit Keith said.

Sharee smirked. Yugi quickly caught on.

‘Come on!’ Bonez barked at Joey. ‘Play your next card or rest in peace.’

Joey looked down at his wallet. ‘Serenity…for your sake, I’ve gotta win!’ He laid a card down.

‘No!’ Bonez stated. ‘All your hopes and all your dreams will die right here.’

‘Says you, geek!’ Joey snapped. ‘I’ll keep my defences up until I find a way to attack.’

Bandit Keith smirked. ‘You know you shouldn’t broadcast your strategy.’

‘My what?’ Joey asked.

‘Especially when it’s a losing one,’ Keith added. ‘Bonez has a special card in his deck that will render all your defences useless.’

‘Stop Defence?’ Sharee asked. ‘He has one of those?’

‘Yes, I do.’ Bonez drew and smirked. ‘And here it is.’ He laid the card on the field.

‘Oh, no.’ Joey groaned.

‘Stop Defence is big trouble, Joey,’ Yugi called.

‘From now on, any card you play in defence mode will activate the trap!’ Bonez announced. ‘And you still can’t stop me from raising the ectoplasmic power of my zombies. So now, all that’s left is to snuff out the last monster you have standing. Deadly Zombie Breath!’

Keith laughed. ‘End of the road for you, dweeb! You got nowhere left to run now.’

Joey looked down. ‘I let you down, sis.’

‘Don’t let him scare you, Joey!’ Téa called.

‘Hang in there,’ Bakura said.

‘Whatever he says, don’t quit!’ Tristan told him.

‘Quit?’ Joey asked. ‘No way. I can’t give up. Not while Serenity’s counting on me.’ He drew another card. ‘Go, Red Eyes Black Dragon!’

The Red Eyes appeared on the field and screeched.

‘Red Eyes?’ Keith asked, surprised. ‘Where’d this dork get a card that rare?’

‘If all my defences are blocked, then I’ll just have to take to the offence,’ Joey said. ‘Red Eyes, take out that overgrown Pumpkin!’

‘What do I do?’ Bonez asked Keith. ‘His attack power is greater than mine!’

‘Inferno Fire Blast!’ Joey commanded. The attack flew right into the Pumpkin King, destroying it. Yugi, Téa, Sharee and Bakura cheered.

‘Nice work, Joey!’ Yugi called. ‘Now he can’t raise his monsters’ attack power any higher. And since Pumpkin King was already a ghost from the start, he can’t use the Call of the Haunted to bring him back.’

The little guy was gritting his teeth.

‘Minor setback, Bonez,’ Keith said. ‘Don’t forget, you still got more than enough attack power to polish him off for good.’

‘Yeah!’ Bonez said. ‘Okay, boss. Go, Dragon Zombie! Blow Red Eyes away!’ The monster attacked and the Red Eyes Black Dragon was blown to dust.

‘My Red Eyes, no!’ Joey yelled.

Bonez laughed. ‘Even Red Eyes was no match for me!’

‘With that card, wiped out, I’m all but done for!’ Joey said as his life points dropped to 150.

‘Oh, come on!’ Sharee took a step forward. ‘Joey, you can still win this!’

Keith laughed again. ‘Yeah, right! There’s not a card in his deck that could save him now!’

Sharee’s eyes narrowed. ‘And you know every single card in his deck? Yugi?’

Yugi nodded. ‘Joey, there is a way! You’ve got a magic card in your deck that could turn this whole thing around!’

Bonez started to get worried but Keith smirked. ‘You’ve gotta be kidding. You’re Yugi, right? Well, maybe you beat Kaiba but the strategy I gave Bonez is just perfect. Your friend is a goner.’

‘Joey, he’s wrong,’ Yugi called.

‘You sure?’ Joey turned to him.

Sharee nodded. ‘Heart of the Cards, Joey.’

Joey looked at their faces and smiled. ‘Okay, yeah.’ He turned back around and muttered as he drew. ‘Trust in the cards. Yeah, this is the one.’ His face turned determined. ‘Yup, it’s my only chance.’ He laid a card on the field. ‘Battle Warrior, in attack mode!’

Bonez smirked. ‘So it’s the only move you had left?’

‘And then I add this magic card called Shield and Sword!’ Joey held up the card.

‘What?’ Keith demanded.

Joey laid it on the field. ‘Go! Offensive-defensive flip!’

Bonez’s zombies slumped down as the attack points and the defence points of each monster were swapped around. Keith and Bonez both looked very nervous as it all happened. When it stopped, Bonez drew back.

‘My zombies’ attack power has dropped to zero!’ he cried.

‘And my Battle Warrior’s attack and defence points switched too. See?’ Joey said. ‘Smash those zombie freaks! Ultimate Battle Fist!’ The Battle Warrior attacked and destroyed all three of Bonez’s zombies.

‘How…could I lose?’ Bonez asked as his life points dropped to zero.

Joey’s friends all cheered for him. Keith suddenly jumped down and walked out. They all watched as he and his three flunkies left. There were a few words that established that Bandit Keith’s name was well-chosen. The two big guys that Sharee had knocked down were hobbling as they went, one nursing his ribs and the other, his head. She must’ve hit them hard.

‘What a jerk,’ Téa said.

‘I thought that was already established,’ Sharee remarked.

‘Hey, guys,’ Joey called as he came over to them. ‘Look, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to drag all of you into this mess.’

Tristan gave him a pointed look. ‘Next time, don’t be in such a big hurry to run off on your own.’

‘Hey, it’s all right,’ Yugi said. ‘We all know that it wasn’t your fault, Joey.’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan teased him. ‘I mean as long as you won the duel, we can forgive him.’

Sharee sniggered.

‘I admit you had us worried at first,’ Téa said.

‘But you really came through this time,’ Bakura added.

Joey rubbed his finger under his nose. ‘I got lucky, that’s all.’

Sharee shook her head. ‘No.’

‘It wasn’t luck, Joey,’ Yugi told him.

‘Huh?’ Joey looked at him.

‘It was your determination,’ Yugi said. ‘Your trust in the cards and the promise you made to your sister. That’s what helped you win.’

***

The more Sharee thought about it, the more she didn’t like the idea that Bandit Keith and his flunkies had left ahead of them. To be honest, she was really surprised to see daylight at the end of the cave. Less so, to see something moving over it. But she bolted at it, full pelt.

Even with her speed, Sharee didn’t make it there before the boulder was in place over the entrance.


	19. Double Trouble Duel Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami and Joey participate in their first tag-team duel.

Yugi, Sharee, Joey and Tristan pushed against the boulder. It was no good. Sharee may have been good at pressure points but her actual physical strength was about average for a girl of her size and build. Two of those goons were paid entirely for fighting – the two she’d knocked down.

‘This thing ain’t budging, boys and girls,’ Joey finally said. The four of them pushing at it stopped. ‘Looks like we’re trapped.’

‘Come on,’ Tristan said. ‘There’s gotta be another way outta this place.’

Sharee wiped sweat from her face. ‘Probably.’

‘But these tunnels run everywhere!’ Téa insisted. ‘We could be stuck down here forever!’

‘Forever?’ Tristan asked.

Suddenly Bakura’s Millennium Ring glowed and one of the spikes pointed. He lifted it and wandered in the direction it was indicating.

‘Bakura?’ Téa asked.

The rest of them followed him.

‘Hey, Bakura!’ Joey called. ‘What gives?’

Bakura stopped at the entrance to two tunnels and turned to the one on his right. ‘It seems my Millennium Ring is tugging me in this direction.’ He allowed the rest of them to catch up with him.

‘Eh?’ Joey asked.

‘Why?’ Téa asked.

Bakura explained as he led them onwards. ‘Well, Yugi, Sharee and I think that my Millennium Ring can detect other Millennium Items, and that it’s been honing in on Pegasus’s Millennium Eye.’

‘So it could be leading us right to his castle,’ Yugi finished the explanation.

Joey cracked his knuckles. ‘Pegasus! I can’t wait to get my hands on that creep.’

Sharee shook her head in exasperation. ‘Well, I wouldn’t say “think”. The Millennium Ring does actually do that. I know because I did homework on all of the Millennium Items when I first got my Millennium Bandanna.’

They walked through the tunnels mostly in silence. Sharee watched the rough seemingly natural tunnels slowly turn into an underground corridor. Looking up at the roof, she quickly spotted the CCTV cameras.

‘So, we getting anywhere, Bakura?’ Joey asked.

‘It’s like we’ve been walking forever,’ Tristan said.

‘Instead of looking like the way out, it seems like a big maze,’ Joey remarked.

‘That’s right. And look at the walls down here.’ Téa looked around. ‘All the rocks are neatly arranged. It seems…man-made.’

‘I’d like to bet it is,’ Sharee said.

‘You think someone could be living down here?’ Téa asked.

‘They’d have to be mole people!’ Joey insisted.

‘Look at all these corridors,’ Yugi said. ‘There must be a dozen different directions we could go!’

Bakura stopped and they all stopped behind him.

‘So now what?’ Tristan asked as he and Joey looked around. ‘Which way do we go?’

Bakura looked up. ‘This way.’ He broke into a run. ‘Follow me! The Ring is pulling me this way!’

They all started running after him. Sharee knew that, as the one with the most experience with running for her life, she had an easier time about keeping up with him. Kid ran pretty fast for someone who’d probably never been on an archaeological site in his life.

‘Well, tell it to pull slower!’ Joey called as they weaved through the maze.

The Millennium Ring chinged every time it changed direction. Bakura didn’t stop until he came to a room and then he halted. Yugi called out, ‘Bakura! What is it? Why have you stopped?’

They came to a stop on either side of him. They had found a large brightly-lit room with an odd-looking duelling arena in it. Two symbols seemed to dominate the room. One for one side and one for the other.

‘What is this place?’ Téa asked.

A voice came from somewhere above. ‘You have entered…’

‘…Sacred ground.’ Another voice said.

‘Where only duellists…’

‘…Can be found.’

‘Yeah, well, we’re duellists,’ Joey said as they all stared, unable to see where the voices were coming from.

Suddenly two men started flipping around the room. They were the ones who were talking.

‘Before you pass…’

‘…Across this chamber…’

‘…You must agree…’

‘…To face the danger.’

‘So let the contest…’

‘…Now begin.’

‘Notify….’

‘…Your next of kin.’

They finally stood still.

‘You’re trapped…

‘…And the doors are all locked.’

The two of them took on mirroring poses and when they spoke again, it was together. ‘You face the Brothers Paradox!’

‘Employed by Pegasus as Eliminators…’

‘…To take all your star chip indicators.’

Sharee pulled a face. This had to be an overdone dramatic license. ‘My sister and I maybe twins, but even we’re nowhere near that similar.’ She looked at the symbols on their foreheads. The one in orange had “Para” written on his head. The one in green had “Dox” written on his.

‘You gotta duel these goons, Yugi?’ Joey asked.

‘And if, by some crazy fluke, you manage to win…’ Para said.

‘…Why then, a puzzling new test shall begin.’ Dox finished the sentence.

‘For over my shoulder, you’ll see a door and over my brother’s you’ll see…’

‘…One door more.’

They seemed to like mirroring each other’s poses.

‘The test, a choice…’

‘…That you must make.’

And together. ‘Which of these doors will you take?’

‘One door leads to an endless maze…’

‘…Where you will wander all your days.’

‘The other door’s the path you need…’

‘…Choose correctly and be freed.’

‘But which door leads out?’

‘And which leads to woe?’

‘That’s for you to guess…’

‘…And for the Brothers Paradox to know.’

Téa frowned. ‘So even if Yugi wins this match, we could still wind up lost in those caves forever?’

‘Against us, one mere duellist would be creamed…’

‘…So you must duel as a team.’

‘Two on two?’ Bakura asked.

‘Like a tag team?’ Joey asked.

Sharee rubbed her chin. ‘That explains the layout of the arena.’

‘I never head of anyone duelling like that,’ Tristan said.

‘Me neither, but I don’t think we have much of a choice here.’ Yugi closed his eyes and Sharee felt the shift in spirit. In response, she stepped back and allowed Shamee to take control of her own body.

***  
Shamee watched Yami step forward.

‘Tag team, it is,’ he said. ‘And I’d be honoured if Joey would duel by my side.’

‘You got it, bro,’ Joey said. They moved to their stations. ‘All right, youse Brothers Paradox, me and Yugi are gonna clean your clocks!’

‘Prepare to be puzzled…’ Para said.

Dox finished it. ‘…Prepare to be fooled.’

And both. ‘Prepare to be baffled, for on this field we rule!’

‘I’m gonna baffle the two of them if they don’t stop rhyming,’ Joey said.

Shamee shared Joey’s and Sharee’s irritation at the Paradox brothers. They were way too in sync to be for real. Definitely an overdone dramatic license. She would have liked to smash their jaws but that wouldn’t do anything useful.

Para sniggered. ‘Enough of your quips.’

‘Yes, time to wager star chips.’

Joey took his out of the glove. ‘I’ll throw down two.’

‘Plus three more.’ Yami held his up. ‘For a total of five.’

‘Agreed!’ The brothers said.

‘This is it, Joey,’ Yami said. ‘If we play our cards right, we’ll both have enough star chips to gain entrance into the castle. Then we can finally confront Pegasus.’

‘Right!’ Joey said.

Para laughed. ‘You fool! That’s why Pegasus pays my brother and me!’

‘To keep you from achieving victory!’

This time, they were ignored.

‘Okay, guys,’ Téa said. ‘Teamwork from here-on out.’

Tristan pumped his fist. ‘Right! We’ll be the team, you do the work.’

‘Good luck!’ Bakura called.

‘Quiet, fools,’ the brothers said. ‘Time to duel.’

‘First turn honours are mine!’ Dox started jabbing his cards around before he laid his card down. ‘Labyrinth Wall!’

For a moment, Shamee wondered why he played that. The field suddenly glowed bright and she watched walls slowly rise out of it. Well, that explained it. Yes, that was right. “Labyrinth” was another word for maze. Tea gasped and drew back.

‘What’s that?’ Bakura asked.

‘Look the floor!’ Tristan leaned forward. ‘Something’s coming out of it!’ He waited a bit, watching it all happen. ‘Strike that! A whole bunch of things are coming out of it.’

‘A maze,’ Yami said.

Dox was smirking. ‘Quite right. And unless you can navigate it correctly, you’ll be lost in its passageways forever.’

The brothers spoke again. ‘Now! No more questions, no more stalls, make your move, the labyrinth calls!’

***

Seto Kaiba strode through the forest, heading for the castle. _Soon Pegasus will be sorry for the pain he’s caused me and my brother._ Kaiba paused and drew a duel card shaped locket out from under his shirt. He flicked it open. Inside was half of a picture that had been taken when they were still in the orphanage. It showed Mokuba sitting at a chess board, looking at the camera. Mokuba had the other half – the one of him doing the same.

‘Mokuba…’

 _Doesn’t he realise that nothing will stop me from getting him back?_ Kaiba closed the locket and tucked it away. He started moving again. _Well, he’ll soon find out._

***

Shamee stared down at the battlefield.

‘Make your move,’ Para said. ‘Move.’

‘Now,’ Dox said.

‘Go.’

‘Hold your horses, already!’ Joey snapped. ‘We don’t even know how this tag team thing works.’

‘It’s simple,’ Dox said. ‘We all start with 2000 life points, like any duel. However, if just one duellist loses those 2000 points, then his team-mate loses with him.’

Joey looked over at Yugi thoughtfully. Shamee felt the determination in his heart.

‘The players on each team will alternate turns with every passing round,’ Para explained. ‘It is simple. I will play, then Yugi, then my brother, then Joey and then back to me. Now, as for the actual game play in the labyrinth arena, it too is quite simple. All monsters you summon and dispatch will act like pieces on a game board. As for moving. Each monster can move the number of spaces equal to its power level. And while your game pieces are moving, ours will be moving too. Finally, if you somehow manage to get past our creatures and find your way through the maze, your reward will be a choice of two doors.’

‘Select the correct door and find the path to freedom and fresh air,’ Dox said.

‘Select the wrong door and find only despair.’

Joey yelled in irritation. ‘I’ve had just about enough of all your lame-brain rhyming! And what do you mean one door leads to despair? That’s not fair!’

Both brothers grinned wickedly. ‘Okay then.’ They both raised their fingers.

‘We’ll give you a clue,’ Para said. ‘While everything one of us tells you shall be true…’

‘…The other will speak nothing but lies to you.’

‘So you see, it is quite simple.’

‘To learn which of us has the right door…’

‘…You have only to ask, nothing more.’

‘Wait,’ Yami said, cutting off their laughter. ‘What if you’re lying to me right now?’

‘No,’ Dox insisted. ‘I never lie.’

Yami said nothing.

‘Don’t be fooled,’ Para said. ‘My door is most certainly the door that will guarantee you’re free.’

‘Liar!’ Dox cried. ‘Mine is the door that will grant safe passage, if they’d only heed.’

Shamee frowned. She listened with half an ear as Joey compared the riddle with one he’d heard before and then Yami corrected him. He talked about the flaws in the riddle and the similarities with their current predicament. Finally, he said what Shamee had thought.

‘…But there’s a problem with that already. Because if they were, as they said, one truth-teller and one liar, the lair could never admit to it. That would be telling the truth.’ Yami’s eyes narrowed. ‘The only way they could both make that statement is if they were both lying. And that means we can’t trust either Para, Dox or their riddle.’

The Brothers Paradox didn’t look too happy that Yami was smart enough to work that one out.

‘Wow,’ Joey said. ‘My brain hurts.’

 _No comment. **Shut up, Sharee.**_ Shamee had to suppress a smirk though.

‘Don’t worry about it, Joey. That riddle was just meant to throw us off-course.’ Yami smirked. ‘Let’s duel now and figure out the door dilemma later.’

‘Nice call, Yug,’ Joey said. ‘I do all my best problem-solving on the field anyways.’

That, Shamee would agree, was true.

***  
‘Now let’s win this duel.’ Yami was up now. _I’ll have to be careful. I’ve never played on a labyrinth field before._ ‘I’ll go first…with my Beaver Warrior!’ He laid the card down in attack mode. The monster appeared on the field.

‘A good choice,’ Para said. ‘A rat for a maze.’

‘But his time’s running out,’ Dox added. ‘This is the last of his days.’

‘We’ll see about that.’ Yami looked at the Beaver. ‘Beaver, forward for spaces. For each of your level points.’

Dox laughed. ‘Four spaces and you’re already in too far!’

‘Now it’s my turn.’ Para laid his card down. ‘And I am merging Shadow Ghoul into the labyrinth wall itself, by means of polymerisation.’

Yami watched startled as a shadow appeared on the wall and shot forward. ‘What the…?’ It came right to his Beaver Warrior and leapt out. The Beaver turned around and looked up, startled.

Para called the attack. ‘Wall Shadow, Reaping Claw Slash!’ The Wall Shadow attacked and the Beaver Warrior was destroyed. ‘Goodbye, Beaver Warrior.’

‘Wha…?’ Téa cried. ‘It came out of the wall! And now it’s going back, where our guys can’t get at it.’

Yami’s life points dropped to 1600. ‘Very lethal.’

Joey was much more jumpy about it. He pointed at them accusingly. ‘They’re cheating! They moved too many spaces!’

Para was smirking as he answered. ‘On the contrary, the Wall Shadow didn’t move any spaces. It moved on the wall.’

‘That’s right,’ Dox said. ‘And the wall doesn’t have any spaces.’

 _This is not good._ Yami tensed. _Our monsters have to count spaces as they walk the maze, while their Wall Shadow can move through the maze walls. That means, he can strike when we least expect it._

‘So now you know our strategy is unleashing a monster that you cannot see,’ Para said.

‘You fools,’ Dox said. ‘You won’t know when the Wall Shadow’s about to land a blow.’

Yami scoffed. As the brothers had been talking, Joey had suggested something out of their sight. He’d made the hand gestures and Yami had only nodded once. Too small to be noticed unless you were looking for it.

‘We’ll see about that.’ Joey laid a card down. ‘Axe Raider in attack mode! And I’ll also place one other card face-down on the field.’ He did just that. The Axe Raider appeared. ‘But since I can’t see your shifty little monster, I can’t attack it so I won’t advance at all this turn. I’ll just keep the Axe Raider as far away from the wall and your sneaky weasel as possible. And I’ll still be ready to attack at any moment. Right?’

‘Right,’ Yami said. ‘That’s a good move, Joey. As long as you keep far away from the wall, you can avoid any sneak attack by the Wall Shadow.’

‘My turn,’ Dox said and laid down a card. ‘And I lay this card face-down. I’ll also lay the Labyrinth Tank in attack mode.’ He set that down and the monster appeared on the field. ‘And move it forward seven spaces.’ The Tank rolled forward.

‘Good job, brother,’ Para said. ‘That should help trap them within our maze.’

‘Thank you, brother.’

‘It’s my turn.’ Yami drew. He looked at the card and then glanced at Joey, meeting his gaze for a moment. Then he laid the card down. ‘I play the Celtic Guardian in attack mode! Advance four paces into the maze.’

‘But the Celtic Guardian’s attack strength is much lower than that of Wall Shadow’s,’ Bakura said.

‘All this time…’ Yami could practically hear Shamee shaking her head at them.

‘You fool!’ Para gloated. ‘Did you not learn anything? Wall Shadow, attack Celtic Guardian now!’ The Shadow shot forward, roaring as it went.

‘Your Guardian is doomed,’ Dox said. ‘And your life points with it!’

The Wall Shadow leapt out of the wall. Yami smirked. ‘I’m afraid not.’

‘What do you mean?’ Para demanded.

‘Kunai with Chain!’ Joey called and the Axe Raider flung it forth, trapping the Wall Shadow.

Para’s eyes widened. ‘What is this?’

‘My trap card worked!’ Joey held the card up. ‘Reel him in, Axe Raider!’ He chuckled. ‘The card I played face down before was a trap card. Kunai with Chain. It captures any opponent that attacks. I laid that trap card to help Yugi. It raises the Celtic Guardian’s attack power by 500, putting its strength higher than Wall Shadow’s.’

‘Celtic Guardian, attack Wall Shadow!’ Yami called. The Guardian raised its sword and brought it down, slashing right through the Wall Shadow.

‘So now it’s light’s out for your shadow,’ Joey said.

‘No!’ Para called.

‘Wall Shadow is beaten,’ Yami and Joey said in unison. Joey grinned and gave him a thumb’s up.

‘What a team!’ Téa called.

‘Yeah, they’re working together to beat those wacky brothers,’ Bakura said.

Para yelled out as his life points dropped down to 1700. ‘To stop our decline, these two we must halt!’

‘Don’t look at me!’ Dox insisted. ‘It’s not my fault!’

Joey grinned. ‘If we keep this up, we’ll win this double-duel and have enough star chips to enter the castle. Teamwork, Yugi!’

‘Right,’ Yami said. ‘But we haven’t won yet. We’ve got to keep on our guard, if we’re going to beat the Paradox brothers and will our way out of this twisted underground labyrinth.’

***

Kaiba strode onwards. _I’m coming, Mokuba. I’m coming to save you and if Pegasus tries to get in my way, he’ll live to regret it._ He was very close now. So close that he expected to be attacked at any chosen minute. These snakes wouldn’t want him to get to his little brother.

But nothing would stop him.


	20. Double Trouble Duel Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami and Joey build a plan to defeat the Paradox Brothers.

_I’m almost to Pegasus’s castle. I’ve gotta be on my guard. His goons are everywhere. But they won’t stop me. Nothing will._ Kaiba reached under his shirt again and pulled out the duel card locket that held the picture of his little brother. _Mokuba’s life’s at stake. And nothing’s more important than my little brother. After our parents died, I promised I’d always take care of him and I will. He’s always looked up to me and I won’t disappoint him. Not now. Not ever._

Kaiba wasn’t really that surprised when he heard the voice behind him. ‘So it’s the famous Seto Kaiba, searching for your little brother, no doubt.’ Kimo appeared from behind a tree. He chuckled. ‘You’re coming with me.’ Kimo charged him.

Kaiba ground his teeth and dropped the locket. He drove his elbow into the bottom of the thug’s ribs. Kimo made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and slumped. Kaiba grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder. The guy hit the ground with a thud and a groan.

‘Actually, you’re coming with me.’ Kaiba grabbed his collar and hauled him up. He pushed his arm behind his back. ‘You’re gonna help me find Mokuba, wherever Pegasus has him. And you’re going to start by getting me into that castle.’

***

Para said the first part. ‘With a trap, you stopped our attack…’

‘…Just as you did pledge,’ Dox finished it. ‘But with our scores…’

‘…Ahead of yours, we still have the edge.’

Yami didn’t see the need for them to be finishing each others’ sentences all the time. If he had less patience, he would be annoyed.

‘We’re just getting started,’ Joey said. He drew. ‘Now, my Flame Swordsman will heat things up.’ He laid the card down. ‘I put it in attack mode.’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘His power level is five, but I’ll move only four spaces. I’ll also move Axe Raider four spaces to join him consolidate our forces. I’ve already used up Kunai with Chain’s trap effect, but it still works as a regular accessory card, raising Axe Raider’s attack power by five hundred points.’ The points went up to 2200. ‘Let’s see you take that on, you twisted twins.’

‘It doesn’t matter if your forces are one or many,’ Para said. ‘For soon…’

‘…There won’t be any. Labyrinth Tank, advance seven more spaces!’ They heard the roaring of the Tank as it rolled. ‘Labyrinth Tank wields futuristic weaponry. Your archaic monsters don’t stand a chance. Soon they will be within striking range.’

‘And somewhere in the labyrinth lurks another trap for your unwary warriors. Do you really think you stand a chance?’

‘Don’t you two ever stop yakking?’ Joey asked, annoyed. ‘You’re up, Yugi.’

Yami took the card. ‘Then I play…’ I laid the card down. ‘…Dark Magician in attack mode!’ The Magician appeared on the field. ‘I move him forward five spaces to defend our other warriors.’ As opposed to the others who just walked, the Magician leapt into the air, flipped and landed in front of the rest of their monsters.

‘Cool!’ Joey drawled. ‘Nice move, Yugi. Now the gang’s all here. They’re a team, just like you and me, pal.’

‘Right, Joey,’ Yami said. ‘There’s strength in numbers. Together they stand a much better chance of conquering this murderous maze.’

‘We shall see about that.’ Para drew. He smirked.

‘Quit grinning and spit it out!’ Joey snapped. ‘What is it?’

‘It’s a magic card.’ Para then addressed Dox. ‘And that’s cause for celebration, brother.’

‘Right!’ Dox said.

‘Now, face the wall-warping down of…’ Para threw the card down. ‘…Magical Labyrinth!’

The field began to shake. Yami and Joey watched anxiously as the walls went into the ground and then came back out again, in different places. Shamee growled in irritation behind them.

‘What’s going on?’ Joey demanded.

‘The maze!’ Téa cried. ‘It’s changing! And that changes the whole game!’

A wall went up between their monsters. ‘Oh, that’s just great!’ Joey huffed. ‘Our guys are cut off from each other!’

‘Tag teams are only as strong as their weakest link,’ Dox said. ‘And the link that’s about to break is you!’

‘Oh, no, our strategy’s blown!’ Joey drew a card.

‘Don’t let them rattle you, Joey,’ Yami said.

Joey looked at him. ‘Right, Yug.’ He looked forward. ‘Gotta keep calm.’ He directed his monsters. ‘Axe Raider, Flame Swordsman, advance and regroup.’ They started to go. ‘The closer our boys get to the maze exit, the closer we get to getting outta here.’

Yami noticed the Paradox brothers smirking. He craned his neck to see what they were looking at. Joey’s Axe Raider was about to stand on the space with a symbol on it – one that Yami recognised. ‘Wait! Joey, look out!’

‘Too late!’ Dox held up the card. ‘He activated my trap.’

‘What?’ Joey cried.

‘Now, the Land Mine Spider attacks Axe Raider!’ Dox said and the Spider appeared. It launched out of the ground and crushed Joey’s monster.

‘Fend him off, Axe Raider!’ Joey called.

‘He’s too weak!’ Dox called. ‘Jerigomo reduces Axe Raider’s attack power to its original 1700.

Joey gasped. ‘That means…’

‘Your Axe Raider is vanquished…’ Dox said as just that happened.

‘…And you lose 400 life points.’

Joey’s life point dropped to 1600.

‘400 points?’ Téa demanded.

‘Right!’ Tristan said. ‘Joey just walked right into that one!’

‘Good trap, my brother,’ Para said.

‘That’s just the beginning.’ Dox raised his head. ‘Labyrinth Tank, advance seven more.’ The Tank appeared behind the Spider, both of them facing the Flame Swordsman. ‘And then I’ll lay one more card…in defence mode.’ It was face down.

Joey tried to trick them. ‘Aren’t you gonna tell us what it is?’

Dox chuckled. ‘You have enough to worry about. My Labyrinth Tank is now within striking distance of your Flame Swordsman. It’s all over for him in the next turn. Then you can worry about what other surprises I have in store.’

‘This doesn’t look good,’ Bakura said from behind them.

Tristan agreed. ‘Tell me about it. It’s a good thing Yugi’s up next.’

Yami drew. He saw the card and smirked. _**Good.**_ ‘We’ll counter attack.’ He laid the card down. ‘I play the magic card Mystic Box, in combination with my Dark Magician.’ The first one appeared and Yami explained what was happening as it did so. ‘I seal my Dark Magician within the first Mystic Box as swords rain from the sky!’

‘What’s this?’ Dox asked as the swords went into the box. ‘The duellist’s gone mad, sacrificing his own monster.’

‘No, wait,’ Para told him. ‘Look!’

‘Huh?’ Dox followed his brother’s gaze. ‘Another box materialising around my Jerigomo?’ The box that was filled with swords opened, revealing the beast within. Both Paradox brothers cried out. ‘My spider is skewered!’ The other box opened. ‘And his Dark Magician is…’ The brothers spoke together. ‘…unharmed?’

Yami smirked. ‘Right. My Dark Magician magically switched his position with that of your monster, trapping him in the first Mystic Box.’ The Dark Magician leapt from the Box as it dematerialised. ‘And ending my magic act.’

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘Let’s see Cue-ball top that!’

Yami nodded. ‘And now for his Tank. Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!’ The Magician raised his staff up, absorbing the necessary magic and then fired the power out at the Labyrinth Tank. It was destroyed. ‘Let’s see what that does to your life points.’

Dox drew back and cried out in shock as his life points dropped to 1900.

‘Together, Joey and I will overcome any obstacles that you two put in our way!’ Yami stated.

***

‘You have security clearance,’ Kaiba said. ‘Open it!’ He had Kimo standing at the door to the dungeon.

‘Don’t you think we should ring the bell?’ Kimo asked.

‘I think you should shut your mouth and open the door!’ Kaiba snapped. ‘Open it now.’

Kimo smirked but did as he was told. ‘You do know no one takes Pegasus by surprise. He probably already knows you’re here, somehow.’

***

‘Okay, Dumbo Duo, now we’re gonna clean your clocks,’ Joey stated.

Yami nearly smiled at him. Impetuous kid.

‘Of yourself, you think too much,’ Dox said. ‘Show them, brother, our lucky touch.’

Para drew, smirked and chuckled. Yami didn’t like the look of that.

Joey felt the same. ‘I don’t like it when that goon grins.’

Para began talking to himself.

‘Quit your mumbling, no hair!’ Joey snapped. ‘Just hurry up and move.’

‘Not so hasty,’ Para said. ‘I will lay this card face down, ending my turn.’ He did and a Chinese box appeared on the field.

‘Intriguing, eh?’ Dox asked.

Yami stared at it. ‘What could be in there?’ Something was niggling at his mind.

‘I don’t know,’ Joey said. ‘But we’ll bust it open and find out when our guys get there.’ He drew. ‘Flame Swordsman, advance five more spaces towards the end of the maze!’ His monster moved. ‘We’re almost there, Yugi.’

Dox’s eyes narrowed. ‘Now we’ll test my luck.’ He drew and smirked. ‘Looks like I’ve doubled our delights.’ He laid a card face down and another box appeared. The brothers looked at each other and chuckled.

‘Another…Chinese box,’ Téa said.

‘What could they be?’ Bakura wondered.

 _I’ve got a bad feeling about those boxes. I sense something ancient…and evil._ Seemed his feelings were leaking through to Yugi. The millennium eye appeared on his forehead for a moment as a defensive reflex. _It’s like I can feel a powerful, dangerous energy pulsating inside of them._

***

Shamee was sure Yami could feel it as well as she could. What she didn’t expect was for Sharee to shudder within their mind. The modern-day teenager backed away as much as she could.

 _ **You can feel it too?**_ Shamee asked her.

Sharee nodded once. _Yeah. I guess I can feel it through you._

_**That would be the rational explanation.** _

_What is it?_

_**I don’t know. It’s Chinese. If it was Egyptian, I could tell you on the spot.** _

_Guess we’ll just have to wait and see then._

***

Dox was still smirking unnervingly at them. He reached down and flipped his face down card up. ‘I now play my hidden card. Dungeon Worm, return to the surface now in attack mode!’ The monster appeared on the field. Dox held up another card. ‘And I will strengthen in with Invigoration, which raises its attack power by 400 points.’ The beast grew bigger as it got stronger.

‘What is that beast?’ Yami demanded. He drew back as it began to dive.

‘It’s a burrower,’ Dox said as the Worm dived into the ground. ‘And it’s coming for you!’

‘Where’d it go?’ Joey demanded. ‘Where’s that thing hiding?’ He cried out in surprise as it suddenly appeared beneath the Celtic Guardian and destroyed him.

‘No!’ Yami cried.

‘Watch your life points go slithering away,’ Dox said as Yami’s life points dropped down to 800. Both brothers chuckled.

‘Hey, that’s not fair!’ Tristan cried. ‘That creature could pop up any place.’

‘That’s true,’ Téa said urgently. ‘This field gives their monsters all the advantage!’

‘That’s right,’ Para said.

‘No one escapes the labyrinth,’ Dox stated.

‘It’s up to you, Yug,’ Joey said. ‘You’re gonna have to pull a winner outta your hat.’

Hat. ‘Great idea.’ Yami threw down the card. ‘I play Magical Hats! Hats, materialise!’ The Hats appeared over the monsters and then multiplied. ‘As for our warriors, now you see them. Now you don’t.’

‘Ah!’ Para yelled out. ‘The Hats!’

‘They’re multiplying!’ Dox exclaimed. ‘Hiding all their monsters!’

‘All right, Yug!’ Joey pumped his fist. ‘That should really confuse that slimy worm of theirs!’

‘And the Dungeon Worm’s attack power is only 2200, while the Dark Magician’s is 2500,’ Yami said. ‘So if the Worm chooses the wrong Hat and uncovers the Dark Magician, he’ll only destroy himself.’

The Paradox brothers groaned in annoyance.

‘And that guarantees your Swordsman’s safety as well,’ Yami told Joey. ‘Because with the Dark Magician lying in wait, the Worm dare not strike any Hat.’  
Para barked out a laugh. ‘Your little plan is not as fool-proof as you think, Yugi.’ He laid a card down. ‘Monster Tamer, appear now in attack mode!’ The creature appeared next to the two boxes.

That wasn’t good. ‘The Monster Tamer?’

‘Normally, I couldn’t control the Dungeon Worm or any other monster my brother placed on the field but by using this Monster Tamer I can add 600 points to the Dungeon Worm’s attack power and also make the Worm follow my Tamer’s instructions during my turn.’

Yami’s eyes narrowed. _2800\. That raises the Dungeon Worm’s attack power higher than the Dark Magician’s._

Para called out, ‘Now, Monster Tamer, command my brother’s Dungeon Worm to destroy one of the Magic Hats!’

Yami watched anxiously. _With their Dungeon Worm powered up by the Monster Tamer, this all comes down to luck._

The Dungeon Worm shot out of the top of one of the hats. Yami breathed a silent sigh of relief. Nothing had been in there.

Para scowled. ‘Empty hat.’

‘Whoa, that was close,’ Joey said. They watched the Worm go back into the ground.

Yami ground his teeth. _Luck was with us this time. The Dungeon Worm will attack again next turn. And then, with only one empty Hat remaining the odds will be against us. What can we do?_

‘Don’t sweat it!’ Joey told him, causing him to look over. ‘I got it all figured out. You just sit back and watch me and the Flame Swordsman go.’ He hit the screen next to him, wordlessly ordering the Flame Swordsman to leave the safety of the Magical Hats.

What? ‘Joey, what are you doing?’

‘Is Joey nuts?’ Tristan echoed his thoughts. ‘The Swordsman was safe.’

‘Don’t worry. This time I know what I’m doing.’ Joey laid a card down. ‘I play the magic card Salamandra!’

Oh. Yami understood now. From the unladylike snort of amusement Shamee emitted, she did as well. The Paradox brothers cried out in surprise and displeasure.

‘That’s right,’ Joey said. ‘You ought to be scared. It juices up any fire-based blade and raises its attack points 700. Swordsman, Salamandra Flame Strike!’ It went into the hole that the Worm had left.

‘Where is it going?’ Para demanded.

‘Good show!’ Bakura called. ‘Now only does Salamandra increase the Swordsman’s attack strength, but because of the Worm’s weakness to fire it negates the bonus points the Worm got from the Monster Tamer, returning its attack power to 2200.’

The Worm appeared and they all watched as it was fried.

‘Less than my supercharged, Swordsman.’ Joey finished that one. ‘The Worm turns – or should I say burns?’

Dox’s life points dropped to 1600.

‘Top that!’ Joey called.

Yami was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t very often someone who wasn’t him did something that effective, not to sound vain. ‘Joey, great move! Good going.’

‘You did it!’ Téa and Tristan cried.

‘You must draw the card we need!’ Para called to Dox.

‘Indeed!’ He drew and smirked wickedly. ‘Ha! The third piece. This will seal their fate.’

Para’s expression matched his. ‘The third piece with which we’ll now create…’

‘…A monster who will…’

They began talking together again. ‘…Annihilate!’

‘Against…’

‘…The Trinity…’

Oh, rat rot.

‘…They can’t defend.’

‘All their life points, we will rend.’ Dox laid the final card down. The Paradox spoke together again. ‘Summon Kazigene, God of Wind!’ The third box appeared and the field began to shake once more.

Joey stared. ‘Yugi, what’s happening?’

‘Oh, no.’ Yami hated being right at times like this. ‘The Trinity! It’s in the class of Exodia!’

The boxes shook violently and then exploded open. The Paradox brothers began chanting as their side of the field was bathed in light. ‘Elements of Thunder, Water and Wind, Suigen, Sanga, Kazigene begin. Meld your powers in eternal light. Show these fools your unstoppable might!’ The merged beast began to appear.

‘Here it comes!’ Yami called.

‘What is it?’ Tristan demanded.

‘I don’t know!’ Téa responded.

But Shamee did. ‘The Gate Guardian.’

‘He is pain beyond description,’ Para said.

Dox went on. ‘He’ll mark the graves with your inscription.’

Both spoke as it fully took form. ‘Against our Gate Guardian, you cannot possibly win!’

Yami had never seen it before. He’d only heard of it and this was one thing that was never mentioned. ‘It has the strength of three monsters!’

‘Yeah,’ Joey said. ‘He’s three guys in one. We’re never getting outta this maze.’

‘Now what do they do?’ Téa asked from behind them.

‘Don’t know,’ Bakura stated. ‘This looks bad.’

‘Don’t be so down-beat, Bakura,’ Tristan told him. ‘If they don’t beat him, we’ll never get outta the labyrinth.’

‘Tristan, thanks for cheering me up, mate!’

‘So, think you can beat us with your big multiple guy?’ Joey demanded. ‘We’re not giving up! Let’s go!’ He pumped his fist. ‘Bring it on!’

Para laughed. ‘You must be mad.’

‘No one’s ever gotten past the Gate Guardian.’

‘He is composed of three parts, each controlling an elemental force.’

‘You’ll never get past his combined power.’

That gave Yami an idea.

‘You will wander the labyrinth…’ Dox joined Para and they spoke together again. ‘…lost for all eternity.’

‘Me and Yugi’ll take on anything that you got!’ Joey argued.

‘Joey’s right,’ Yami said. ‘We’re a team. You’ll never beat our combined power.’ Unlike when the Paradox brothers said that, Yami was only stating a fact. ‘Take your turn.’

***

Kaiba was growing increasingly irritated. ‘I told you to take me to Mokuba, not on a tour. It’s endless.’

‘These tunnels are honeycombed throughout the entire island,’ Kimo said. ‘Without me to guide you, you could get lost down here for years.’

‘Don’t get any ideas,’ Kaiba told him.

‘Listen, slim, I’m much bigger and much stronger than you are,’ Kimo told him. ‘You only got the jump on me cause you snuck up and took me by surprise. What’s to stop me from spinning around right now and knocking…’

Kaiba had enough of this. He cut Kimo off by grabbing his shoulder and pulling him around. He yanked him nearly onto his knees. ‘Try it and I’ll drop you where you stand!’

Kimo smiled nervously. ‘Well, when you put it that way, nothing would please me more than to reunite you with your brother, Mokuba.’

The guy was pushing it. But Kaiba let him go and then walked onwards. It wasn’t long though, before Kimo stopped.

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘This is as far as we go.’

Kaiba looked around. ‘Where’s Mokuba?’

‘In Pegasus’s grip, just like you’ll soon be, Kaiba,’ Kimo said.

‘Stop playing games,’ Kaiba ordered.

Kimo struck something with his foot and alarms went off.

‘The alarm.’

Kimo turned around. ‘If you wanna find your brother before reinforcements arrive, you better hurry. Security will be here any moment.’

‘Mokuba.’ Kaiba brushed him aside and ran. ‘I’ve gotta get him outta here, away from Pegasus.’ But first he needed a very clever way to find his brother. ‘Mokuba! Mokuba!’

***

‘It’s your turn, Yugi!’ Téa called.

‘Attack that big ugly lug!’ Tristan yelled.

‘Nothing in my deck is powerful enough to attack the Gate Guardian,’ Yami said. He laid two cards face down on the field. ‘I can only play these.’

‘What a waste of a turn,’ Para said. ‘You’re frightened. For all your monsters are too weak to attack ours. Gate Guardian, use your immense power!’ The Gate Guardian began charging for its offensive. ‘Attack Flame Swordsman! Eliminate him from the field!’

‘This is it, bud,’ Joey said. ‘We’re going down in a big way!’

Yami ground his teeth.

‘Thunder Stoke Attack!’ Para called and a blast of energy headed right for the Flame Swordsman.


	21. Double Trouble Duel Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami and Joey need to find a way to defeat the Gate Guardian.

‘This is one lightning storm I don’t think my Swordsman’s gonna weather,’ Joey said as they watched the Gate Guardian gather the energy. He turned to Yugi. ‘If you’ve got any bright ideas, now’s the time.’

Para called out. ‘Gate Guardian, Thunder Stroke Attack!’ The blast went out in a direct line for the Flame Swordsman.

Joey cried out and shut his eyes. ‘Can’t look!’

The blast hit. Para leaned forward and laughed. ‘Now you see, our Gate Guardian conquers all.’

‘Not this turn,’ Yugi suddenly said.

Joey opened his eyes. Oh, good old Yug! He did have something there.

‘Huh?’ Para asked.

Yugi picked up one of his down cards. ‘Unless he’s not affected by traps. Mirror Force, reflect his attack!’

‘All right!’ Joey cheered as the trap card worked its magic.

‘Gate Guardian, defend!’ Para ordered. ‘Squall Barricade!’ The middle section blew out, deflecting the attack around itself. Both brothers chuckled and Para said, ‘Our monster’s not felled.’

‘You’ve been repelled,’ Dox said.

Joey saw Yugi smirk and then heard the chuckle. ‘Yes, but your Guardian has deflected my attack right at your Monster Tamer.’

Both brothers cried out in shock. Joey watched as the Monster Tamer was vaporised by the attack. That was a good move. May not have gotten the Gate Guardian but put Para’s life points down to 900.

‘You’ve destroyed your own monster,’ Yugi said.

‘Lucky move,’ Dox insisted.

Nope. Joey looked over at Yugi. There was nothing lucky about that. Every time he duelled, he seemed to get like that. His brain seemed to change how it worked. Joey’s mind briefly flashed back to that weird dream he’d had. Odd, dreams never usually stayed with him long.

‘Way to play, fellas!’ Téa called. ‘Keep it up and we’ll be outta these musty old caves in no time.’

‘You got it, Téa,’ Joey responded.

***

‘Give it up, Kaiba!’

‘We know you’re in here somewhere!’

‘Yeah, it’s no use hiding!’

‘Sir, I think he’s gone. I can’t find any trace of him.’

‘Impossible. There’s no way he could’ve escaped.’

‘But, sir, I’ve checked every corridor.’

‘Then stand guard by his brother’s cell. He’ll show up. Now, go!’

‘Yes, sir. Right away!’

The three guards ran off and Kaiba jumped down from the ceiling. Nice and dark up there. He glanced around then followed the one that’d been sent to Mokuba’s cell.

***

‘All right!’ Joey said. ‘Now it’s my turn.’

Yami turned to him. ‘Wait a minute, Joey.’ He waited until he had his attention. ‘Don’t make your move just yet. Look at the Gate Guardian. It was created by combining three different monsters, right?’

‘So?’ Joey asked.

Yami looked at him. ‘So that maybe our ticket to dismantling him.’

‘Right!’ Joey grinned. ‘Section by section. All right! Flame Swordsman, use Salamadra’s magic and attack the midsection.’

That wasn’t what he had in mind. Yami watched, without surprise, as the attack failed. A Tidal Shield, if Yami wasn’t mistaken. Now, that was interesting.

‘You fool!’ Dox said. ‘Attack one section and the others will defend it. You wasted your turn. Now my Guardian will lay waste to you. Tidal Surge Attack!’

Water flowed out of the lower section and flooded the entire field. An idea occurred to Yami and he glanced down at his hand. Yes, he had the required card in his hand. There was only one downside to the attack.

‘Oh, my,’ Bakura said.

‘Huh?’ asked Tristan and Téa.

‘Dox’s using the water elemental of his Gate Guardian to flush out the entire maze,’ Bakura explained. ‘Everything in its path will be attacked. The mystic properties of the Magical Hats will protect the Magician, but I’m afraid Joey’s Swordsman won’t be as lucky.’ As he was saying that, the Flame Swordsman was being destroyed.

‘We have taken the lead!’ Dox announced.

Joey ground his teeth. ‘For now.’

It was Yami’s turn now. ‘Your Gate Guardian may have dampened the field but not our spirits. For my turn, I lay this card face down I call upon the Summoned Skull to finish the job Joey’s Flame Swordsman started.’ He held the card up before he played it in attack mode. The Skull appeared.

The Paradox brother sneered.

‘You must be joking!’ Para insisted.

‘That Swordsman started nothing, before he left choking,’ Dox said.

Yami smirked. ‘That’s not quite true. If it weren’t for him, the stage wouldn’t be set for my Summoned Skull’s attack.’

The Paradox brothers stared in confusion.

Tristan got it. ‘The water! Yugi’s gonna use it as a conductor for an electrical attack!’

‘Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike!’ Yami issued the command.

‘The water’s actually guiding the attack,’ Tea said.

‘Payback time!’ Joey called.

‘Not yet,’ Dox insisted. ‘You may have found a watery trail leading back to our Guardian but you have yet to breach his defences. Defences that we activate now!’ Nothing happened. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘What’s wrong is that by flooding the whole field with your Tidal Surge, you attacked my Magical Hats.’ Yami reached down and flipped his other down card. ‘And hidden underneath one of them was a trap.’

‘What?’ Dox asked.

‘A trap that immobilises your Guardian and leaves him powerless to defend himself.’ Yami held it up.

‘No!’ Dox cried. ‘My Gate Guardian!’

The Circle appeared. ‘Ensnared by my Spell-Binding Circle! And seven hundred defence points weaker because of it, leaving Suigen, you Guardian’s water elemental, quite vulnerable to my electrical attack.’ The electricity hit the bottom section and it was destroyed. ‘One section down, two to go.’

‘Way to go, Yug!’ Joey cheered as Dox’s life points dropped to 900. ‘We’ll have this ugly lug chopped down to size in no time!’

Behind them, their friends cheered.

‘Hey, look, all the water’s disappearing,’ Joey said as just that happened. ‘Not only is Suigen gone, but it looks like he took all of his water with him.’

‘Our Guardian is only damaged, not beaten.’ Para laid a card down. ‘Remove Trap!’ The Spell-Binding Circle vanished. ‘Ha! Even without Suigen, our Guardian is still unbeatable.’  
Joey narrowed his eyes. ‘We’ll see about that. It’s my turn now.’ He drew.

Yami watched. _Their Gate Guardian maybe unbeatable by any monster, but not by our teamwork._

‘All right, bozo brothers!’ Joey threw his card down. ‘Try this out for size. The Red Eyes Black Dragon!’ The beast appeared on the field next to the Summoned Skull. Oh, this was too good.

Yami held up another card. ‘And now, with the magic of my polymerisation card, I’ll combine Joey’s Red Eyes with my Summoned Skull.’ The two beasts fused into one.

The brothers cried out. ‘A combo!’

‘You now face…’ Yami smirked. He let Joey finish that. ‘The supreme Black Skull Dragon.’

‘Your guy ain’t so unbeatable now, huh?’ Joey gloated.

Yami smirked. ‘Right. Let’s see your labyrinth stop him.’

But the Paradox brothers laughed.

‘What are you two clowns laughing about?’ Joey demanded.

‘You fools,’ Dox said. ‘But think your new creature will win the match for you?’

‘You’re wrong,’ Para stated. ‘For there is little your creature can do, for there is a maze rule that you must not have known.’

‘A rule?’ Joey demanded. ‘Oh, no!’

‘Oh, yes,’ Dox said. ‘And the rule states that the labyrinth is a no-flying zone.’

Inconvenient but not crippling.

Joey looked at him. ‘Aw, nuts! And my Red Eyes black Dragon can only move by flight. These rules stink!’

‘Don’t worry,’ Yami said. ‘I have an alternate plan.’

Joey smiled in relief. ‘Oh, I was hoping you’d say that.’ He turned to the brothers victoriously. ‘You hear that? We got a back-up plan!’ He dimmed after a moment. ‘Uh…Yugi? Why don’t they look worried?’

True, they were laughing.

‘So…er…what do you think the bald brothers are up to, Yugi?’ Joey asked.

‘You mock us?’ Dox asked and drew. A chuckle. ‘But with this next card, I will trash your team.’ He laughed. ‘Ryoku!’

Rat rot! ‘Ryoku?’ Yami asked.

‘It’s all Greek to me, pal,’ Joey said.

‘Ryoku.’ Yami looked at him. ‘It’s a rare and mighty card, Joey.’

‘Too true,’ Dox said. ‘Ryoku’s legendary power allows me to take half of my opponent’s life points and add them to my own creature’s attack points.’

‘No fair!’ Joey insisted as their life points dropped to 400 and 650. ‘You might as well be stealing.’

‘Stay strong, Joey,’ Yami said.

‘Stay strong?’ Dox asked.

‘The only one on this field who will be staying strong will be our Gate Guardian, for he is the one we are powering up with your life points!’

‘That’s like cutting their chances to win in half!’ Tristan insisted.

Dox smirked. ‘Luckily for you, using the Ryoku card ends our turn. But when our next turn is at hand, we will use our Gate Guardian’s newfound power to end this duel once and for all.’

‘He will turn your monsters into smears on the labyrinth wall!’ Para predicted.

 _ **Not if I can help it.**_ Joey growled in annoyance. Yami turned to him. ‘Don’t worry about them, Joey. I still have a plan.’ He did all of his next actions as he said them. ‘First I draw. Next step, my Dark Magician will leave the safety of the Magical Hats and return to the maze.’ The Magician leapt from the Hats and they disappeared. ‘Then he’ll move six spaces forward and out of your labyrinth.’

Para sneered. ‘You fool! Why are you moving your Dark Magician out of the maze when you know our Gate Guardian is there just waiting to attack?’

‘Does it matter?’ Yami asked. ‘You seem certain he’ll win regardless of what I do.’

‘Uh…’ Joey paused. ‘Yo, Yug. Not for nothing, but do you wanna fill me in here?’

‘It’s all right, Joey,’ Yami told him. ‘Trust me.’ He ignored the brothers sniggering. ‘And finally, I play this card. Reborn the monster!’ He slapped the card down on the field and the monster was revived.

‘Your plan will fail!’ Para yelled, crowing in victory prematurely. ‘Gate Guardian, attack the Dark Magician!’

The Gate Guardian powered up and shot the attack.

Ah, for all their “fool” comments, they were hypocrites. ‘You attacked without waiting to see which monster I resurrected from the graveyard pile, so you couldn’t know. You wasted your attack. ’ Yami called out and pointed as he did so. ‘Suigen, Tidal Shield!’ A wave of water shot up from beneath the Dark Magician, blocking the blast and Suigen appeared beneath the Magician.

‘What?’ the Paradox brothers demanded.

‘Recognise the monster?’ Yami asked. ‘You should seeing as how it’s yours.’

‘He used his Reborn the Monster card to bring back our Suigen!’ Para cried.

‘Only now he’s not ours!’ Dox insisted. ‘He’s been brought back on their side!’ The Shield disappeared.

‘Yeah, Yug!’ Joey cheered. ‘That’s the play of the game!’

‘You have been lucky, you little louts!’ Para stated.

‘But we promise your luck’s about to run out,’ Dox said.

‘Fine,’ Yami said. ‘But in the meantime it’s Joey’s turn.’

‘Right!’ Joey looked down at his hand.

Yami internally sighed. _That water elemental I revived bought us some time, but not a whole lot of it. It’s going to be up to Joey to keep us in this duel. And I know he won’t let us down._

Joey drew. He looked at the card in his hand thoughtfully before he sniggered. ‘Oh, man! I just got a killer idea! Here it goes.’ He threw down the card. ‘I’ll use Copycat and play it as Ryoku!’

Not a bad idea. Even he wasn’t expecting that though. Joey seemed to be doing that a lot of that during this duel.

‘That’s right!’ Joey just about crowed. ‘Say adios to half of your life points. But don’t worry. They’re going to a good cause.’

The life points of both brothers went down to 450.

‘My Black Skull Dragon!’ The Dragon’s attack points went up to 4000.

Hm. That worked in sync with Yami’s plan. ‘Great move, Joey!’

Joey chuckled.

‘Why power up your Dragon?’ Dox demanded. ‘He is still forbidden to fly in the maze and therefore cannot move. If you were smart, you would’ve used it on that treacherous water elemental. Because it’s him I’m attacking. Thunder Stoke Attack!’

‘Suigen, raise Tidal Shield to defend!’ Yami called.

The two blasts met.

‘To be honest, we knew you would defend,’ Para said.

‘Indeed, now hit him again!’ Dox ordered. This time the top section attacked.

Because Suigen had already defended, he couldn’t do so again. He was destroyed, but the Dark Magician dodged. That was good. That was what he’d wanted. Yami heard Bakura explain it to Téa.

‘Yugi, did you really think that one elemental could stand a chance against two?’ Para narrowed his eyes. ‘That miscalculation will cost you the duel.’

Yami smirked confidently. ‘I’m afraid you’re mistaken. Not only did I know that you could destroy Suigen but I planned that you would.’

‘What do you mean?’ Para demanded.

Yami held up his card. ‘Anything to draw attention away from my Dark Magician. After all, if I’m to use this Monster Replace card with our Black Skull Dragon, I needed someone strategically placed to switch places with.’

‘No!’ Para cried. ‘He can’t!’

‘He played us for fools, brother,’ Dox said. ‘When he knew his Dragon could not move within our labyrinth, he had his Dark Magician do it for him.’

‘And now, Monster Replace!’ He slapped the card down. The Dragon and the Magician swapped places. ‘Exchange the Dark Magician with the Black Skull Dragon!’

The brothers ground their teeth.

‘At first, I thought the only way to beat your Gate Guardian was piece by piece,’ Yami said. ‘But now, with our powered-up Dragon, we can finish this with one final ferocious assault. Black Skull Dragon, Molten Fireball Attack!’ The Dragon opened its mouth and shot the attack. It hit the Guardian, blowing it to bits and dragging the life points of the Paradox brothers down to zero.

Joey sniggered. ‘Take that!’

‘The duel goes to us!’ Yami stated.

Their friends cheered behind them. Yami and Joey walked around and collected their winnings.

‘All full,’ Joey said.

‘And all set to duel Pegasus,’ Yami added.

Dox chuckled.

‘Not quite yet…’ Para said and then they both spoke in unison. ‘…Still one test yet.’

Yami ground his teeth. ‘I should’ve known.’

***

They never knew what hit them. Kaiba landed between the guards and easily knocked them both out. He turned and ran up the stairs. He knew this was where his little brother was being held. As he came to the cell, he wrapped his hands around the bars. His brother was shackled to the wall by his ankles, dirty, bruised and looking very, very small.  
Smaller than he should ever have to look. ‘Mokuba.’

Mokuba looked up and, as soon as he saw him, relief entered his eyes. ‘Seto?’ He leaned forward. ‘Seto, it’s you!’

Kaiba stepped forward. Aside from the obvious, he seemed no worse for wear. ‘Yeah. It’s me.’

‘Aw, Seto!’ Mokuba wrapped his hand around his locket. ‘I always knew that you would come and rescue me. Always.’

‘Little brother,’ Kaiba said.

Mokuba stumbled to his feet. ‘So what do we do now? I bet you have some high tech plans to get me out of.’ He tried to walk forward but the chains stopped him. ‘Ouch!’

Pegasus was dead. ‘Stay still, kiddo.’

‘Okay. Whatever you say, big brother.’

Kaiba knelt down. ‘Just give me one second to pick this lock.’ He got to work but he was interrupted.

‘Well, well, the Brothers Kaiba. United at last.’

Kaiba turned.

‘Bravo, Kaiba. Bravo.’ Pegasus was clapping as he stopped at the edge of the cell. ‘I knew nothing would stop you from getting here.’

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. ‘Pegasus.’

***

Shamee stood at her respectful place behind Yami.

‘What d’you mean there’s another test?’ Joey demanded. ‘Yugi and I just beat you two in a duel. Isn’t that enough?’

‘Enough to win our star chips,’ Para said. ‘But not enough to escape this labyrinth. You still must choose a door, remember?’

‘I remember,’ Yami said. ‘Now, which of you brothers are guarding the door that leads out of here?’

Para narrowed his eyes and smirked. ‘If you cherish your lives, you will choose my way.’

‘Select my side or else you’ll pay,’ Dox said.

‘Not this game again!’ Téa complained. ‘Can’t you guys just act normal and gives us a straight answer for once?’

‘I am giving you a straight answer,’ the Paradox brothers said.

‘The answer is we can’t trust either of these two,’ Yami stated.

‘Okay, guys,’ Tristan said. ‘Any bright ideas?’

Joey stammered. ‘Uh…sure. Don’t I always?’ Tristan, Téa and Bakura shook their heads. Joey groaned and folded his arms. ‘Zero respect.’

Yami closed his eyes. Shamee smirked to herself. He had an idea. She remembered that look well. If those Paradox brothers had any brains, they would start getting very nervous about now.

Yami lifted up a pair of coins, each marked with an insignia. ‘We’ll decide with these.’ Their friends gasped. The Paradox brothers laughed.

‘Okay,’ Dox said. ‘Heads or tails?’

‘Neither.’ Yami held his closed fists out, a coin in each. ‘I marked each coin to represent a different door. The coin that I keep clenched in my fist will be the door that I have chosen.’

***

‘Ah, Kaiba. I knew you’d come for Mokuba eventually.’

Kaiba glared at Pegasus. ‘Oh, you did? Well tell me something, Pegasus. Did you also foresee what I’m about to do to you for harming my little brother?’

‘Actually, Kaiba, I predict you won’t lie a finger on me,’ Pegasus said.

‘And why is that?’

Pegasus chuckled.

***

‘Ready?’ Yami asked.

Shamee knew he was holding it for so long because he was going for dramatic effect. She had a vague feeling that this was normal for him when someone tried to pull the wool over his eyes. Probably some old buried memory.

Yami opened his left hand.

‘That coin is marked for Dox’s door,’ Para said.

‘But was your choice good or was it poor?’ Dox asked.

Yami just smirked at them.

‘What say you, Dox? Shall we tell which was right?’

‘In due time, Para. I’m enjoying their plight.’

‘Come on!’ Joey insisted. ‘Was it Para?’

‘Or was it Dox?’ Téa asked.

‘Yeah, fess up!’ Tristan told them.

The smirk came off of Yami’s face.

The brothers chuckled.

‘I say…’

‘…You choose wrong,’ Dox finished his brother’s sentence. ‘It was my doorway…’

‘…All along.’ They both started laughing as soon as Para finished.

‘So Dox’s door was the right one?’ Téa asked.

‘Not quite,’ Yami said.

They stopped laughing. Shamee got it though.

‘Huh?’ Dox asked.

‘Oh, yes, it was,’ Para said.

‘Except if we had picked it, Para’s door would be the right one,’ Yami said. ‘You can change which door leads to which path, can’t you? Insuring that we choose wrong.’

‘That’s no fair!’ Joey insisted. ‘You guys cheated.’

They were smirking, caught out but unashamed. They both crossed their arms and Dox spoke. ‘Too bad, too late. You chose. Away! And that means…’

‘…In this maze, you will stay.’

Yami smirked again. ‘Well, actually, you never saw our choice.’ He opened his hand again. Shamee forced back a laugh. Sharee didn’t see why.

‘The Dox coin!’ Joey exclaimed.

Everyone but Shamee gasped in surprise.

‘I figured the two of you would pull a stunt like this.’ Yami turned the coin over in his hand to demonstrate what he was saying. ‘So I pulled a stunt of my own with these two coins. Instead of marking them both with just one door insignia, I marked the second with two.’ He flipped it into the air, insuring they all saw both sides, and then caught it. ‘One insignia on each side. That way, we couldn’t lose.’

The Paradox brothers drew back, shocked.

Shamee smirked at them. ‘If you’re going to play cheap games, don’t try and fool Yugi. It doesn’t work.’

Joey grinned. ‘Heh. Beat you at your own game.’

‘Both of them,’ Yami said. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a score to settle with your boss.’

They headed for the door.

‘All right, then,’ Joey said. ‘On to Pegasus’s castle!’

***

‘You kniving snake!’ Kaiba snapped. ‘I should take you down right now for what you’ve done to Mokuba.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Kaiba-boy,’ Pegasus said. ‘In my dungeon, in my castle, in my realm, the only one who makes threats is me.’ Suddenly his hair flew back from his artificial eye and it somehow glowed brightly.

Kaiba jammed his eyes shut against the light. He heard Mokuba scream and tried to force them open but it was too bright. What had he done to him now? The light faded and Kaiba heard a thud from inside the cell he turned.

Mokuba was lying face-down in the cell floor. ‘Mokuba?’

Pegasus chuckled, drawing Kaiba’s attention. He held up a card that glowed and then there was a picture of his little brother there. One that Kaiba knew for a fact had never been taken. It looked like he was pressing against an invisible wall, trying to get out. ‘You monster!’ Kaiba took a step forward. ‘What have you done? What have you done to him?’ Somewhere in his consciousness, something stirred. It was like a part of him knew what had happened and it was trying to break through. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

‘It’s just a little magic trick,’ Pegasus said.

‘Tell me,’ Kaiba just about growled. ‘What have you done?’

Pegasus’s smirk widened. ‘I’ve ensured your cooperation, for you see Mokuba’s soul is now imprisoned in a place where the locks can’t be picked.’ He lowered the card.  
Removed his soul? ‘You’re mad!’ But…somehow, he knew it was true.

Pegasus ignored that and went on. ‘And there he will remain, Kaiba-boy, until you beat me in a duel.’

‘A duel?’ Kaiba asked. ‘With you? Now? Fine. I’ll do anything!’

Pegasus shook his head. ‘Not just yet, Kaiba. You must first earn the privilege to challenge me. And you can only do that by defeating Yugi in a duel.’

‘Oh…’ Of all the things…well, he didn’t have Exodia anymore. There was a good chance he could do it.

‘And if you can’t win against him, Mokuba’s soul will stay mine forever.’ He began laughing.

Kaiba’s eyes narrowed.


	22. Face Off Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rematch of the century begins.

‘So what will it be, Seto Kaiba?’ Pegasus asked. ‘Do you care about his life enough to save his soul? Not that you really have a choice. Mokuba’s soul belongs to me.’ He held up the card. ‘So life-like! But…you probably preferred him in the flesh, didn’t you?’

Kaiba gritted his teeth. His whole body was shaking in rage. ‘You’re not…human!’ he insisted. Nothing human could be so cold. Even he wasn’t that bad, even if he did play up being heartless.

Pegasus dug in his pocket. ‘Quite human, actually, just extraordinarily gifted.’ He threw something down. ‘Here! You’ll need these for your duel with Yugi.’

‘Huh?’ Kaiba stared down and then looked up. ‘Why are you doing this?’

‘The reasons are none of your concern.’ Pegasus undid the string around his neck and started fiddling with it, almost like he was demonstrating what he was saying. ‘Maybe I just enjoy the struggle, watching the constant tug-o-war between you and Yugi-boy! Or maybe I want something you’re incapable of comprehending, something you’ll end up delivering to me all tied up in a bow.’

‘Talk straight!’ Kaiba snapped. ‘What do you want?’

‘Want?’ Pegasus asked. ‘I want to see if you’re capable of defeating little Yugi in a duel. And only if you successfully crush him in a humiliating defeat will you get the opportunity to duel me.’ He closed his eyes. ‘Then, if you beat me, I promise to restore your brother’s soul.’

Kaiba forced himself to calm. ‘For now, I have no choice but to play your game. But soon…’ He looked at his brother’s body. ‘…As soon as I defeat Yugi, I’ll be back. And you better make good on your promise to restore my brother, because if you don’t I’ll take great pleasure in separating your soul from your body in my own way!’

Pegasus chuckled.

***

‘We’re out!’ Joey cried. ‘Fresh air, at last!’

‘All right!’ Yugi called as he followed Téa up the steps.

‘What’s this?’ Bakura suddenly asked. One of the spikes on his Ring lifted. ‘My Millennium Ring is pointing…’

‘There!’ Téa pointed herself. ‘To Pegasus’s castle!’

‘Right where we’re heading,’ Joey said. ‘Cause Yugi and I both have enough chips to get us into the castle now. Isn’t that right, Yug?’

‘Yeah.’ Yugi nodded.

‘Finally!’ Téa exclaimed.

Sharee rolled her head happily. But she had a nasty feeling in her gut. She looked over as Tristan, Joey and Bakura started to head off. Téa was looking at Yugi almost speculatively. Of all of them, she figured that she was the one most likely to work out about Yami’s presence.

_**Is that a good thing or a bad thing?** _

_I don’t know. Differs from person to person. Can never really tell until they’re actually confronted with that._

Suddenly a look came over Téa’s face. It was one Sharee knew well. _Epiphany._ She’d just worked it out. Like, right then and there she worked it out. Two personalities in one person all this time and she’d only just worked it out. Fighting back a laugh, Sharee ducked her head. At least with her, it was harder to tell so it was understandable.

Yugi was inspecting his star chips. After a moment, he seemed to notice Téa staring at him. ‘Something wrong?’

Téa smiled and shook her head. ‘I just wondered, do you ever feel like…?’

‘Hey you two!’ Joey called from the staircase, waving at them. ‘What’s the hold-up?’

‘Hurry up or we’ll go inside without you!’ Tristan called.

‘Grandpa, here I come!’ Yugi went to run after their friends but only for a few steps before he tripped and landed on his face.

‘Ouch,’ Téa said as he pushed himself up. ‘Uh…this is how you’re going to rescue your grandpa?’

Yugi looked over his shoulder, eyes wide. ‘I rescued you. Remember?’

Sharee snorted in amusement. ‘He’s got you there.’ She remembered too. Her eyes shifted. _Sort of._ Hers and Yugi’s acquaintance had started long before he knew of it, just she’d usually kept out of the sight of everyone except Yami. Until she could find a way to properly introduce herself in a more natural and becoming manner – in a way that it wouldn’t look suspicious.

Ridiculous notion now that she knew Yugi. If she helped off her own back, then she wasn’t suspect at all. But she had made sure they knew she was there.

Téa smiled, staring into space for a good few minutes.

‘Téa?’ Yugi asked, rubbing his head. ‘I asked you if you remembered.’

Téa crouched down before speaking. ‘Yugi, I remember. But what was it that you did to that guy that day?’

‘I don’t know.’ Yugi lowered his arm. Sharee noticed, and she doubted Téa did, that he looked a little nervous. ‘When I came to, that mugger was already on the ground. I don’t remember anything about it.’

‘You’re a mysterious guy, Yugi,’ Téa said. ‘Do you ever feel there’s something weird going on? Sometimes you seem like you’re a completely different person. Does what I’m saying make any sense to you?’

Sharee wisely bit her tongue. Yugi knew there was something within him. He just didn’t quite understand what. And, until he knew, it was understandable that he wouldn’t want to mention it to anyone.

‘I know what you mean,’ Yugi said. ‘Sometimes I feel like there’s someone else inside of me. I hope I’m not losing it.’

Her mistake.

Téa stood up quickly. ‘Well, whatever’s going on with you, both of you are really good guys! Trust me.’

‘Thanks, Téa.’

‘Hey, do we need to carry you guys up?’ Joey called down.

‘Yeah!’ Tristan added on. ‘Pronto, come on!’

‘Come on.’ Téa offered Yugi her hand. ‘Let’s go.’

Sharee stood and waited for them to pass her. The hike up was very uneventful. When they got near the top, though, there was a bit of a surprise. Kaiba was there and he wanted to duel Yugi again. The boy in question didn’t see why.

As they argued and then Yugi decided to do it just to get Kaiba off his back, Sharee’s mind started to wander. Why would Kaiba want to duel Yugi again? Didn’t he have his brother to look after? Didn’t he have to get him off of this island?

Sharee knew she wasn’t as close to her sister as Kaiba was to Mokuba or even as Joey was to Serenity, but if it were her she still wouldn’t waste time. Getting a duel out of Yugi was wasting time. Unless, of course, it was the only…

Oh.

Oh, no. Sharee averted her eyes. Not Mokuba. Not him too. Didn’t Pegasus know what “too much” meant? That was going overboard. It was beyond going overboard. It was absolutely ridiculous.

As Yugi changed to Yami, Sharee considered telling him that she thought Mokuba had lost his soul. That was why Kaiba wanted the rematch, but the big, proud CEO probably wouldn’t want that advertised.

_Allow me._

Sharee allowed Shamee to take control of her body. The ancient waited until Kaiba was leading them to where he wanted to duel. Then she slipped ahead of her usual place and gently tapped Yami on the shoulder. The other ancient leaned back and Shamee whispered.

‘We think Pegasus took Mokuba’s soul as well.’

There was a twitch on Yami’s face but, otherwise, he nodded only once.

***

Yami looked across at Kaiba. These new duelling disks, he only worked out through Yugi’s logic. What was with Kaiba and high-tech stuff? All the same, with Shamee’s theory – and possibly Sharee’s as well – this duel would be a little more…If the girls were right, Kaiba would actually be playing with his heart this time.

‘You beat him before, Yugi!’ Joey called. ‘So we know that you can do it again!’

‘Yeah!’ Tristan called.

‘That’s right!’ Hm. Téa was usually louder than that. Perhaps she was more astute than the others and had put the pieces together.

‘All right,’ Yami said. ‘Are you ready to duel, Kaiba?’

‘This is it, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘Whoever wins faces Pegasus. And whoever loses…well, you’ll be left a broken man.’

‘We’ll see who gets broken, Kaiba!’ Yami almost couldn’t believe it, but fear and grief did all sorts to people. ‘I will defeat you once and for all!’

‘Let’s duel!’ they both said.

‘Stand back and prepare for battle!’ Kaiba threw down the duelling disk and it spun fast. The monster appeared over it. ‘I play Ryokoshin in attack mode!’ The rest of his four cards appeared in front of him.

Very high-tech.

‘Look!’ Téa cried. ‘The cards!’

‘They’re holograms,’ Joey stated. ‘Just like the monsters.’

‘Oh, Shauna will be impressed,’ Shamee remarked.

‘On your guard!’ Yami threw his own disk out and his own monster appeared on the field. ‘I play Curse of Dragon in attack mode!’ Holograms of the rest of his cards appeared in front of him.

Kaiba barked out a laugh. ‘Well done. Formidable card, Yugi. And a play I would expect from a duellist of your calibre.’

‘Don’t patronise me!’ Yami snapped. Kaiba was making it very hard to feel for him. Shamee was usually right, but Kaiba seemed more heartless than usual.

‘Yugi, I know from playing you, you’re a talented duellist, but you’re just not as good as I am. Listen up! Only one duellist is going to challenge Pegasus and that’s me!’

‘Wrong.’

‘Then attack and find out. What’s the matter, Yugi? No faith in your monster?’

‘You’ll see. He’s mightier than yours. Go, Curse of Dragon! Attack Ryokoshin!’ The monster shot forward. ‘Dragon Flame!’ The fire rushed over Kaiba’s monster and destroyed it. ‘There. Ryokoshin is no more.’

Kaiba’s life points dropped to 1600. The holograms vanished and his duelling disk flew back into his hand. He smirked. ‘You’re good but, oh, so predictable. Didn’t you think that I expected that attack? And, once again, you’ve played right into my hands, Yugi.’

Yami scowled.

‘He’s bluffing!’ Joey called. ‘You already got Kaiba on the ropes. All right! Go, Yugi.’

‘It’s not a bluff as you will all soon see.’ Kaiba drew and smirked. He laid the card and threw the disk out again. ‘I play Sword Stalker!’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘The Sword Stalker gathers the life force of his own ally, raising his own attack power by twenty per cent. Watch.’ His attack points went up to 2400.

Yami stared at it, the pieces coming together in both their heads. 

Kaiba called out. ‘Attack now, Sword Stalker!’ The Sword Stalker flew forward. ‘Vengeance Strike!’ It struck but the Curse of Dragon vanished before impact. ‘What? The Curse of Dragon disappeared!’

‘That’s because I laid a Monster Replace magic card on the field,’ Yami said and the card turned around, displaying itself. ‘This card switches the monster on the field with the monster in my hand that has the highest attack power! And you know what that means.’ The other monster appeared. ‘The creature with the greatest attack power in my hand is the Dark Magician. Dark Magic attack!’ The Magician attacked and destroyed the Sword Stalker. ‘The Dark Magician vanquishes your Sword Stalker.’

Kaiba’s life points dropped down to 1500.

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘Hey, Kaiba! Yugi put the moves on you again!’

Kaiba smiled bitterly and closed his eyes.

Yami continued. ‘Now I can replay Curse of Dragon in attack mode!’ The card turned around and the monster appeared on the field. ‘Your move, Kaiba!’

Kaiba yanked the duelling disk back into his hand and the card holograms disappeared. ‘I take on your magic…’ He laid a card in the centre slot. ‘…with a magician of my own.’ He threw the disk down again and his monster appeared. ‘I summon La-Jinn, the Mystical Genie!’ The cards took form again. ‘My wish is his command!’

‘Dark Magician!’ Yami called. ‘Attack La-Jinn! Dark Magic Attack!’ His Magician started the attack.

‘Your attack activates my trap!’ Kaiba’s card turned around. ‘Ancient Lamp!’ The Lamp came forward. As he spoke, it happened. ‘First it protects my Genie by drawing him into the Lamp.’

‘What?’ Yami demanded.

‘Then the Lamp deflects your attack, turning it back on your monster!’

The Curse of Dragon was destroyed. Yami’s life points dropped down to 1500.

‘Reflect upon the incredible deflective powers of my Ancient Lamp!’

Yami pulled his duelling disk back, drew and laid a card down in the slot where the Curse of Dragon had been. He threw the disk out again. His Dark Magician and cards appeared in front of him once more. ‘My deflected attack may have destroyed Curse of Dragon but I still have the Dark Magician.’ He smirked. ‘Kaiba, for all your bragging the score is tie. We’re evenly matched.’

Kaiba was smirking.


	23. Face Off Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duel heats up. Kaiba's grand strategy is revealed.

Shamee was vaguely surprised when she felt the ghost-touch on her shoulder. _Shamee, I think I should take back control of my body._

_**Now? Why?** _

Sharee hesitated, looking at the duel and picking her words. _If we’re right…neither of them is going to give in and it’s going to be a really hard victory for someone. Yami may do things that…well, things that I’ll have to explain to our friends._

_**You want to explain it to them?** _

_No, I’d prefer not to. But I’ll have to. Besides, I have a better understanding of a modern-day human’s emotions._ Sharee mentally shrugged. _You know, being one and all._

The kid had a point. Shamee knew she would tell it as it was. That would more likely than not make it look worse for their friends. Even if the American teenaged girl had rubbed off on her, it wasn’t enough.

Sharee would have to be the one to explain, should it come to that. Shamee nodded internally. She then stepped back, allowing Sharee to take control of the body, and walked into her Chamber of the Mind. Sitting down in her favourite chair, though she continued watching the duel.

***

Yami stared at that Lamp. There had to be a way to get rid of it. Yugi’s grandfather’s soul depended on this. He couldn’t let him down. Over the months he’d been in here, he’d grown quite fond of the boy.

‘This is way too intense,’ Tristan said.

‘Remember, Tristan, Yugi beat Kaiba once before,’ Bakura pointed out.

‘I’d like to beat Kaiba all right!’ Joey steamed.

‘What’s with Kaiba anyway?’ Téa asked.

Only Shamee said nothing. Wait…Yami glanced at her only for a moment. She was standing there with her arms folded, yes, but she was continuously rocking side to side. She was constantly shifting her bodyweight from her left leg to her right and back again. Her tongue was clearly prodding the inside of her cheek. Shamee was trained and disciplined. She would be standing perfectly still with a straight face.

Sharee was in control of the body.

Yami wondered why. But he had more important things to worry about. _Kaiba’s trying to finish me off as quickly as possible. That’s not like him. He enjoys toying with his opponents almost as much as he enjoys winning. Last time we duelled, he spent half the match messing with me, but this time he’s all business. Mokuba’s soul must be gone then._

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. ‘What’s the matter, Yugi? You look a bit worried. Finally realising that without your precious Exodia cards, you don’t stand a chance against me?’

Though he did make it hard for Yami to feel for him. ‘I won’t need any Exodia to defeat you, Kaiba!’

Kaiba yanked back the duelling disk and drew. ‘Hm. If I keep drawing cards like this, you will. I arm my Genie with the De-Spell card.’ He threw the disk out again. ‘The De-Spell card can deactivate any magic card and that’s a loss I’m quite sure you can’t afford, Yugi.’

‘La-Jinn, my Mystical Genie of the Lamp, activate De-Spell!’ Kaiba commanded. The Genie reached out and the power appeared in his hands. It shot forward.

‘Oh, no!’ Yami cried. ‘My card!’

The card in front of him spun around and then vanished. ‘De-Spell has destroyed your Swords of Revealing Light.’ Kaiba smirked. ‘That’s a tough loss, Yugi. Your Swords could have paralysed my monsters for three turns but I guess now you’ll just lose three turns sooner.’

‘Ha!’ Yami pulled his duelling disk back. ‘Don’t count on it, Kaiba!’ He drew the Mystic Box. _This card might do the trick. The Mystic Box! It could be just the magic card I need to evict La-Jinn from his Ancient Lamp._ Yami laid the card down and flung the disk out. ‘But first…I call upon the Dark Magician!’ The disk landed and the Magician reappeared as did his cards.

‘I’m surprised you put your Magician at risk, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘When you have no idea what I have in store for you.’

Yami smirked. ‘The perhaps before I attack, I should see what you’re planning for myself.’ He turned his trap card around.

‘What?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘Behold!’ Yami cried. ‘My Magic Eye of Truth!’

Kaiba gritted his teeth.

‘So called because the Eye of Truth knows all, sees all.’ Yami pointed. ‘And it will reveal every card in your hand.’ One by one Kaiba’s cards turned over and Yami was suddenly very confused. ‘What’s this? You’ve got a Blue Eyes White Dragon in your hand but you haven’t played it?’

‘You can always count on Kaiba to have a Blue Eyes White Dragon or three up his sneaky sleeves,’ Joey said.

‘Kaiba sure loves his Blue Eyes,’ Tristan remarked.

‘Three Blue Eyes White Dragons?’ Bakura blinked. ‘That’s got to be nearly impossible for Yugi to beat.’

‘Yeah, well Yugi’s beaten three Blue Eyes before and he’ll beat them again,’ Téa stated.

‘But why hasn’t Kaiba played it?’ Sharee asked. ‘As far as I’ve always seen he played them whenever he drew them.’

His thoughts exactly. _What’s Kaiba up to? Why hasn’t he played his Blue Eyes White Dragon yet?_

‘So, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘The Monday Magic of your wimpy Eye of Truth allowed you a sneak peek at my hand. But what good does it do you? The fact remains that your Dark Magician can’t do anything against my Genie, La-Jinn. Not while he has his Lamp to protect him.’

Yami closed his eyes for a moment. ‘Then I’ll extinguish it!’ His other card turned around. ‘Through the magic of my Mystic Box!’ As he spoke, the Boxes took form. ‘Now watch closely, Kaiba, as first my Magician is sealed within the Box.’

Kaiba stared at his own encased Lamp. ‘It’s a trick!’

Yami smirked. ‘It’s much more than a mere magic trick as you’re about to find out, Kaiba. Now watch and be amazed as the Mystic Box is skewered!’ Swords shot out of the sky and into the slots. ‘But have I destroyed my own Dark Magician?’ The Box opened. ‘Or have I magically extinguished your Ancient Lamp, just as I promised?’ And that’s what was there.

Kaiba growled. ‘No! You’ve destroyed my Genie’s Lamp!’

‘The Magic’s only half-done, Kaiba!’ Yami told him. ‘For my Dark Magician emerges from the Mystic Box, unharmed!’

‘But…how?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘You know a good Magician never reveals his secrets,’ Yami said as the Dark Magician shook a finger at Kaiba. ‘Now, Dark Magician, Dark Magic attack!’ The Magician attacked the Genie and it was destroyed.’

‘No, my Genie!’ Kaiba’s life points dropped to 800.

‘It’s just as you said, Kaiba,’ Yami stated. ‘The Ancient Lamp may have protected your great Genie, La-Jinn, but once it was destroyed your Genie was no match for my Dark Magician.’

Kaiba smiled. ‘You little magic show may have been entertaining, but let’s not lose perspective. You know I’ve got a Blue Eyes waiting in the wings and I know you have nothing that can stand against it.’

Yami smirked. ‘You know nothing. The Eye of Truth showed me your hand. Not the other way around.’

Kaiba’s eyes narrowed and he took two cards. ‘I don’t need to see your hand, but I think you need to be taught a lesson and I’ll be happy to make my next play painfully instructive.’ When he threw the duelling disk down again, Yami was surprised to see which monster it was. ‘Behold, Soggy, the Dark Clown!’

‘Huh?’ Sharee said from the sidelines.

‘Soggy the Dark Clown?’ Yami asked. _I was expecting Kaiba to sick his Blue Eyes White Dragon on me. He knows Soggy is no match for my Dark Magician. What’s he up to? He didn’t have any trap cards earlier when I got a look at his hand, but he might’ve drawn some new ones by now. The only way to know for sure is to attack, but I dare not risk my Dark Magician._ ‘Dark Magician, return!’ Yami yanked the duelling disk back to himself. He drew. _All right! Good card. I have the Fierce Knight. He wiped the floor with Soggy in my first duel with Kaiba._ He looked up. ‘And he will defeat Soggy once again.’ Yami threw the duelling disk down. ‘Gaia, the Fierce Knight in attack mode!’ The monster appeared over the disk and attacked. Soggy the Dark Clown was destroyed. ‘Your Dark Clown has been vanquished, Kaiba!’

‘Vanquished and sacrificed are two very different things, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. The pieces of his Dark Clown were still there, and it was still laughing. ‘Look again.’

‘No!’ Yami saw what he meant. The Fierce Knight was coming apart too. ‘What’s happening? Gaia!’ He was gone.

‘Not just Gaia, Yugi,’ Kaiba said.

Sure enough, even the Dark Magician was being destroyed in the card. ‘No! My Dark Magician! What have you done, Kaiba?’

‘It’s really quite ingenious, actually,’ Kaiba said.

Sharee huffed loudly. ‘You’ve got a Crush Card, haven’t you?’

Kaiba glanced at her. ‘So, you’ve seen it before. That’s right.’ The card in front of him turned around, showing the card in question. ‘Knowing that you couldn’t resist attacking my Dark Clown, I infected him with the Crush Card Virus.’

‘Crush Card?’ Yami asked.

‘By destroying the infected Soggy, you released the Crush Card Virus,’ Kaiba said. ‘A Virus that is so highly contagious in Duel Monsters that even as I speak the words, it is infecting all but the weakest cards in your precious duelling deck.’

Yami looked down. Where his life points should have been displayed the word “virus” was flashing at him. ‘No! My cards!’

‘It only affects monsters though, Yugi!’ Sharee called.

Kaiba laughed. ‘Yes, but the only monsters unaffected by the Crush Card Virus are those with an attack power weaker than 1500. Looks like I’ve broken the heart of your cards, Yugi.’

Yami looked back down. _That Crush Card Kaiba used makes it so that I can’t use any monsters with more than 1500 attack points._ ‘Well played.’ He looked up at him. ‘But it will take more than a virus to win this duel, Kaiba!’

Kaiba chuckled. ‘Yes, I expect that it will, Yugi. Actually, I’m looking forward to subjecting you to a wide array of debilitating cards.’

Yami scoffed and shifted.

‘Keep talking the talk, Big Mouth Kaiba,’ Joey snapped. ‘Just don’t forget that Yugi beat you last time.’

‘Yeah,’ Tristan said. ‘And now Yugi’s an even better duellist.’

Bakura muttered something that made Tristan look down at him in surprise. Sharee looked at him in annoyance and asked, ‘Well, yes. The rest of them are in the graveyard. Weren’t you listening?’

‘He’ll still win!’ Téa stated.

‘Your turn, Yugi,’ Kaiba stated. ‘Let’s see how your disease-ridden deck serves you now.’

Yami scowled. ‘You may have infected the body of my deck, Kaiba, but it is the Heart of the Cards that will see me through this contamination.’ Yami drew. _The Summoned Skull, but I can’t use it because its attack points are over fifteen hundred. Kaiba’s Crush Card would infect it the second I laid it on the field._

‘Face it, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘To continue playing in this duel, you’ll have to serve up your weakest monsters.’

Yami scowled and laid down his card. _He’s right. For now, that’s all I can do._ He flung the disk out. ‘Silver Fang, defence mode! His attack points are low enough to make him immune to your Virus. Your turn.’

‘Ironic that a wolf will be the first of your sacrificial lambs, but so be it.’ Kaiba drew and smirked confidently. He put a card down and sent the disk back out. ‘Battle Ox, awaken and let lose dogs of war!’

Yami tensed.

The Battle Ox charged. ‘Axe Slam Attack!’ With a swing of the weapon, Silver Fang was destroyed. ‘Your puppy has been put down.’

Yami ground his teeth.

‘It’s cool!’ Tristan called to him. ‘Just a minor setback! No big deal!’

Kaiba threw his head back and laughed. ‘Your pitiful defences can’t even withstand the crude assaults of my Battle Ox! How do you expect to defend your life points when your defences are demolished and you have nothing left to shield you against my even more powerful monsters? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.’

_Kaiba’s right. How can I defeat any monster when his Crush Card forces me to play my weakest creatures?_

‘You should accept your fate for now, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘After all, you’ll have the rest of your entire life to brood over this defeat.’

 _No. I can’t give into his taunting. I came here to rescue my grandpa. I can’t let Kaiba defeat me._ Yugi was right. Yami drew. ‘Griffor, go!’ He laid the card down and threw out the duelling disk. ‘I summon you!’ The beast appeared on the field. ‘Let’s see you deal with this attack, Kaiba.’

Kaiba smirked. ‘A Griffor? I think you’ve made a grave miscalculation, Yugi. His pathetic defences are no match for my Battle Ox.’

Yami chuckled. Confident, wasn’t he? ‘Whoever said that I was going to be playing him in defence mode, Kaiba?’

Kaiba’s eyes widened. ‘What do you mean?’

The card in front of Yami turned around. ‘I’m attacking with my Griffor, with the help of my Horn of the Unicorn. Magic Lightning combo attack!’ The Horn appeared on Griffor’s head and the Lightning shot out, destroying the Battle Ox. ‘Your Battle Ox has been destroyed.

Kaiba smirked as his life points dropped to 600.

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘I’m feeling a comeback in the works!’

Téa raised her hands to her mouth. ‘Stellar move!’

‘Good show!’ Bakura called. ‘That was a brilliant play at a critical junction!’

‘Yeah, Yugi.’ Tristan pumped his fist. ‘Great move!’

‘Impressive, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘Using a combo attack to combat the perils of my virus, but I’m afraid that there are some hazards in my deck that are simply inevitable.’ He drew. ‘It’s my turn now. Prepare yourself for ultimate annihilation, Yugi, but first…’ One of his cards spun around. ‘…I’m invoking the Mystical Elf!’ The monster appeared on the field, hair flying. ‘You see, Yugi, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my matches with you it’s that you have an uncanny ability for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. But I don’t intend to give you such an opportunity today.’ The Elf vanished and gold dust floated down around Kaiba. ‘Which is why I’ve summoned the Mystical Elf to reinforce my life points.’ He looked down. ‘By three hundred.’

So he was back up to 900 life points now. Yami watched critically. _I’ve never seen Kaiba duel so methodically before. Every move he plays is so precise, leaving nothing to chance. It’s as if, to him, this were a battle of life or death. Maybe it is…_

Kaiba pulled his duelling disk back to him. ‘Behold.’ He laid his card down and threw the disk down again. ‘The mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon!’ The beast appeared on the field with a loud roar.

Yami drew back.

‘Now, Yugi, your fate belongs to me,’ Kaiba said. ‘Take flight. Blue Eyes White Dragon rise! The Blue Eyes roared and lifted into the air. ‘Go, White Lightning attack!’ The Dragon attacked and Yami covered his face defensively as his monster was blown away.

Yami’s life points dropped to 400.

‘Already my Blue Eyes has you cowering,’ Kaiba said. ‘And this is only the beginning. Soon, you will know what fear is.’

Yami scoffed, drew and played his card. ‘I don’t fear your Blue Eyes, Kaiba. I’ve defeated him before.’ His monster appeared on the field. ‘And with my Giant Soldier of Stone guarding me, I’ll manage to defeat him again.’

‘I’m afraid you’re mistaken.’ Kaiba drew. ‘Yugi, when you battled my Blue Eyes before, they were three separate Dragons. Formidable, yes, but not invincible.’ He pulled his duelling disk back to him. He laid his card down as he spoke. ‘But now I’ve found a way to merge their power, combine their attack points to create…’ He threw the disk out again. ‘…a monster with power beyond imagining.’

Yami tensed again. He had a feeling he knew what Kaiba was talking about.

Each of three cards in front of him turned, revealing the other two Blue Eyes and a Polymerisation card. ‘Now I create a monster without fear, with attack power so great that no monster can stand against him.’ The Blue Eyes on their field exploded with light. Yami watched as the new creature took form. It roared and Kaiba crowed. ‘I create the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!’

Yami stared at it anxiously. _So that’s why he didn’t play his Blue Eyes at first. He was waiting to merge them all together._

Kaiba laughed. ‘Yugi Moto, there’s no escape. Nothing can save you now.’

Sharee managed to find her voice. ‘Oh…my…freaking God!’

‘That monster’s attack points are off the charts!’ Téa cried.

‘Yeah. How could any creature in Yugi’s deck beat that thing?’ Joey asked.

‘That Kaiba!’ Tristan snapped. ‘He’s been setting Yugi up for that beast this entire time!’

Yami hated to admire it, but so did Yugi. _Kaiba has really played a brilliant strategy. Setting me up with that Crush Card, holding out for all three of his Blue Eyes and at the same time whittling down my life points to a sparse 400. Now he’s got me cornered and staring down the toughest monster I’ve ever faced!_

Kaiba was gloating. ‘Yugi, how I savour this moment! This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, ever since you handed me my first and only Duel Monsters defeat. Prepare yourself to see the power of my creature unleashed. Blue Eyes Ultimate White Dragon, Neutron Blast attack!’ The attack shot forward from all three mouths.

‘No!’ Yami cried as it travelled. ‘My Stone Soldier!’ It was destroyed.

‘You’re lucky your Stone Soldier was in defence mode,’ Kaiba said.

‘Whoa!’ Joey huffed from the sidelines. ‘At least Yugi didn’t lose any life points.’

Yami drew back again. _Stone Soldier was the last of my defences._

‘My Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon atomised your creature to dust, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘You know you have nothing to stand against it. You should concede.’

Yami reached for his deck and froze.

‘No, Yugi!’ Joey called.

‘You can win this!’ Bakura insisted.

‘That’s right,’ Téa stated. ‘We all believe in you!’

‘You gotta remember what you’re fighting for, Yug,’ Joey told him. ‘The Heart of the Cards, just like your grandpa taught you! You never let anyone down before and I know you’re not gonna let your grandpa down now!’

Yami remembered the day Pegasus took the man’s soul and he remembered the grief, anguish and fear Yugi had felt. It was as if it was his own. _Grandpa…I won’t let you down. I have to keep fighting, for you._ He tensed.

There was a twitch in Kaiba’s face.

Yami took a firm hold on his next card. ‘No, Kaiba. I will never surrender to the likes of you!’

‘That’s it.’ Kaiba clenched his fist. ‘That’s the kind of determination I expect from you. Fight on! And gather every last bit of your strength, Yugi. I prefer to take you down when you’re fighting your hardest.’

_Everything rides on this last card. This duel, this tournament…my grandpa. But as hopeless as it seems, I still have to believe!_

‘Kick butt, Yug!’ Joey hollered.

‘It comes to this,’ Kaiba said. ‘Draw your card and face your fate.’

Yami closed his eyes and drew. _Heart of the Cards, guide me._ He opened his eyes. ‘Let’s finish this, Kaiba!’


	24. Face Off Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kaiba's ultimate beast on the field and his deck crippled, Yami needs to pull a winning strategy out of his hat.

‘It doesn’t matter what card you play next, Yugi,’ Kaiba said. ‘You have nothing that can withstand the phenomenal strength of my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. You might as well give up.’

Yami looked at the card in his hand and gasped. A plan began to form in his mind. This could just work. He chuckled. ‘Kaiba, I just drew the card that will defend me against your Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon.’

‘Impossible!’ Kaiba insisted.

‘Watch and learn.’ Yami tugged his duelling disk back to himself. He laid the card down and tossed the disk back. ‘This is it. The beginning of your defeat.’ The monster appeared. ‘Kuriboh, attack mode!’

‘That’s ridiculous!’ Kaiba insisted. ‘In the entire game, Kuriboh is the weakest monster.’

Sharee, on the sidelines, started sniggering. Their friends looked at her in confusion.

Kaiba chuckled. ‘Yugi, you’re free to concede and forfeit the match. But, come on, don’t embarrass yourself by playing that runt of a monster. You must know that that’s the puniest monster with the lowest attack points in all of Duel Monsters. I’ve never known a serious duellist to even keep one in their deck.’ He pointed at him. ‘Yugi, don’t insult my intelligence by sending that puny creature to defend against the unbridled might of my Ultimate Blue Eyes.’

Yami smirked. ‘Kaiba, you’re mistaken. This card will defend everything.’

Kaiba stared, clearly unable to understand.

‘And before this duel’s over, your Dragon will fall,’ Yami stated.

‘My Ultimate Dragon?’ Kaiba asked. ‘Nonsense. Hurry up and finish your turn so I can knock the stuffing out of that Kuriboh and win the game.’

‘As you wish!’ Yami’s card turned. ‘My last card will be the magic card Multiply! Multiply works with monsters with attack power below five hundred and multiplies them endlessly.’ As he spoke just that happened. ‘More than you bargained for, eh, Kaiba?’

‘So is this some kind of a joke?’ Kaiba demanded.

Yami chuckled. ‘The joke’s on you, Kaiba. When you attacked, you thought I only had one defender but now I have many. And I’m getting more and more defenders by the second.’

‘No matter!’ Kaiba insisted. ‘Have you forgotten the incredible assault power my Dragon possesses? It’ll burn them to a crisp. Neutron Blast!’ The Dragon attacked.

Yami smirked as the attack hit.

‘So there!’ Kaiba snapped. But the Kuriboh were still there, still multiplying. ‘But wait! What’s going on here? My Dragon’s attack had no effect on your life points at all and those annoying creatures continue to multiply!’

‘That’s right,’ Yami said. ‘You can’t take my remaining life points away, Kaiba, until you wipe out all the Kuriboh. But as quickly as you destroy them, they multiply right back.’

‘Hairballs!’ Kaiba insisted. ‘For each one I destroy, two more take its place.’

Yami’s eyes narrowed. ‘That’s right. Kaiba, you have created the ultimate attack monster but I’ve created the Ultimate Defence. And ever-expanding army of furry protectors. They may not look like much but they’ve stopped your Dragon in its tracks. That’s just the beginning, for now I go on the attack!’

‘You’ve nothing strong enough,’ Kaiba insisted.

‘Watch me,’ Yami said. ‘For I’m going to show you the combo that will bring your Dragon down. The three cards in front of him turned around as he listed them. ‘Mammoth Graveyard, Polymerisation and the Living Arrow Card.’

‘What’s a Living Arrow card?’ Kaiba asked.

‘Living Arrow allows me to use my other cards in combination with not my own cards but with my opponent’s monsters,’ Yami said. ‘I’ll show you. Normally, I make a fusion with my cards but, for a new twist, living arrow lets me fuse my cards with your cards, opening up bold new possibilities!’ The three cards came together. The Mammoth Graveyard came out.

‘Now what?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘I can use the magical powers of my Living Arrow to bond my Mammoth Graveyard to the heart of your beast!’ The Mammoth turned into the Arrow and shot into the Ultimate Blue Eyes Dragon. The head of the Mammoth appeared in the belly.

‘No, my Dragon!’ Kaiba cried. ‘What have you done?’

‘Since my Mammoth Graveyard is an undead type monster he can’t properly fuse with your living Ultimate Dragon,’ Yami said. ‘Instead, it causes your monster to rot and decay from the inside out. Each turn your Ultimate Dragon will lose attack points until your creature is no more. Your so-called Ultimate Dragon, and your victory, is rotting away, Kaiba. It’s only a matter of time, now, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.’

‘There must be something I can do to save my Ultimate Dragon!’ Kaiba insisted.

‘My Mammoth Graveyard has attack points of 1200,’ Yami stated. ‘That means that each turn that goes by, he drains 1200 points from your Ultimate Dragon’s attack power. Soon it will be weak enough for me to destroy.’

‘All right!’ Tristan called. ‘That single attack is bringing Yugi back from the brink!’

‘Way to go, Yugi!’ Joey cheered. ‘You’re the man!’

‘Great move!’ Téa yelled to him.

‘You’ve had it, Kaiba!’ Joey crowed. ‘You’re never gonna win this match! So what d’ya say now, Kaiba? Guess three heads aren’t better than one!’

Kaiba glared at Yami, nearly shaking in his anger, as he muttered something to himself. ‘Attack now, Ultimate Dragon! Neutron Blast!’ The attack shot out and washed over the defence monsters.

‘Again?’ Yami asked as only a handful of Kuriboh were destroyed. ‘When will you learn? The Kuriboh multiply faster than you can eliminate them with your Neutron Blasts.’  
Kaiba ground his teeth as he watched even more of them appear. ‘No. I will not…cannot be defeated.’

‘I’ll draw one more card and let my Mammoth finish my turn.’ Yami did just that. The Dragon’s attack strength dropped again.

‘Go, Ultimate Dragon, Neutron Blast!’ Kaiba called another attack.

Sharee sighed in exasperation.

Yami just chuckled once. Only a handful of Kuriboh were destroyed and twice as many appeared in their place. ‘Once again, your attack has failed, Kaiba. My defence holds. You have no other strategy to use against me. Your time is running out. You should never have challenged me, Kaiba. You see? My Mammoth takes another 1200 points from your Dragon.’ The Ultimate Dragon’s points dropped to 900. Finally, it was low enough. ‘Even my weakest monsters can destroy it now.’

Kaiba looked horrified. He’d never looked like that. Then that turned to anger. That was when Yami realised that Sharee and Shamee were right. Pegasus had taken Mokuba’s soul. That was another thing to do, but why couldn’t Kaiba just swallow his pride and say something about it? Yugi, it seemed, was not so astute.

_Kaiba hasn’t said a word. It’s like he’s in another world._

Over on the sidelines, Sharee was looking at Kaiba in pity. She’d worked it out. She knew she and her alter-ego were right. And she felt sorry for him but everything was riding on this sick little game.

‘What’s with Kaiba?’ Joey demanded. ‘He’s just standing there, completely spacing out!’

‘Maybe its finally sunk in he’s lost,’ Tristan suggested.

‘True,’ Bakura said. ‘In just a minute, it will all be over. But it’s almost sad to see a player of his calibre take losing so hard.’

Yami gritted his teeth. He could see how it was affecting him, but he couldn’t afford to let Kaiba’s pain get to him. _It doesn’t matter what card I draw now. Any monster can defeat his weakened Dragon._ Yami drew and pulled his duelling disk back to himself. He laid the card in the slot. ‘This is it, Kaiba!’ He flung the disk forward. ‘Prepare to meet your demise!’ The Celtic Guardian took form and the Kuriboh moved out of the way for him. ‘Celtic Guardian, attack Ultimate Dragon!’

The Celtic Guardian charged and attacked, slicing one of the heads off.

‘All right!’ Tristan and Joey cheered. Then Joey noticed something at the same time Yami did. ‘Hey, the Ultimate Dragon’s still standing! What’s up with that?’

‘That’s because the Ultimate Dragon is a fusion of three Blue Eyes,’ Bakura said. ‘Each of its three heads has its own attack power. Celtic Guardian took out one of them and Kaiba lost the 500 points difference in their life points. But when the Celtic Guardian takes out another head, that will wipe Kaiba out and win the match.’

‘You mean…Kaiba’s toast?’ Joey asked triumphantly.

But Kaiba closed his eyes in concentration.

***

Sharee watched. She could see it. She’d been right. Mokuba’s soul was on the line here as well as Yugi’s grandfather’s. She half-wondered how he’d react to the whole thing now that his shock appeared to have worn off.

‘Yugi,’ Kaiba said, opening his eyes. ‘It can’t end this way. If I don’t defeat you in this duel, Pegasus will keep Mokuba prisoner, forever.’

Of course, he didn’t mention that Mokuba’s soul had been taken.

‘I can’t let that happen. And even though I don’t have a card that can keep you from attacking, I think I still have a strategy that will stop you in your tracks.’

‘What do you mean?’ Yami demanded.

‘I’m going to force your hand,’ Kaiba said. ‘And win this battle, Yugi.’ He backed away until he was standing on the edge of the roof.

‘Looks more like he’s retreating to me,’ Joey said.

Sharee frowned. She knew what he was doing. She shifted forward one step. ‘I know that trick, Kaiba, and you don’t have to go that far!’

‘Yes, I do.’ Kaiba stopped, right at the edge.

‘Kaiba!’ Yami barked. ‘Stop this!’

‘What’s Kaiba up to now?’ Joey asked. ‘Does he think this cheap stunt’s gonna keep Yugi from winning the match and saving his grandpa?’

‘This isn’t a cheap stunt, Joey,’ Sharee said. ‘If Yugi defeats him, Kaiba really will overbalance himself and fall to his death.’

‘Your move, Yugi,’ Kaiba asked. ‘You can attack my Blue Eyes again and wipe out my remaining life points, but if you do the resulting shockwaves may cause me to lose my balance.’

‘Don’t tempt me!’ Yami snapped.

‘My fate is completely in your hands, Yugi,’ Kaiba said confidently. ‘You’ll decide this duel one way or another. Of course, if you don’t surrender I might be hurt. You wouldn’t want that, would you?’

‘Stop it, Kaiba!’ Téa called. ‘You know this is dangerous!’

‘Eh, Kaiba’s bluffing!’ Joey insisted.

‘No, he’s not.’ They all turned and looked at Sharee. She was staring at Kaiba and she shook her head. ‘I’ve spent most of my life on one archaeological site or another. Things like this happen all the time in those places. I know when someone’s bluffing on killing themselves. Or even hurting themselves. There’s always a nervous look there. Kaiba has no such thing.’

Kaiba chuckled, confirming what Sharee just said.

‘He’s counting on Yugi to surrender,’ Bakura said.

‘But he can’t do that,’ Joey insisted quietly. ‘If he loses to Kaiba, he won’t get into the castle.’

‘Kaiba, you’re going too far!’ Yami insisted. ‘I must win to rescue my grandfather.’

‘And I must win this duel to rescue Mokuba,’ Kaiba said. ‘The difference is I’m willing to risk anything to do it. You know I could stand up here all day, Yugi. And I’m certain that you won’t make any attack for fear that you might knock me off, even though you know, by not attacking, you give up the only chance you have to stop your grandpa. Which means that I have the advantage over you, for in my case there’s nothing holding me back.’

Yami gritted his teeth as Kaiba drew.

Téa looked over at her. ‘Sharee, would Yugi attack him even now?’

Sharee looked at her. Looked like it was time to tell the truth. ‘Yugi would probably stop the attack.’

‘What?’ Tristan and Joey asked.

Sharee closed her eyes. ‘There is an ancient spirit within Yugi Moto, the very man that you see before you now, who has spent his whole life being hardened against ultimatums like this.’

***

Yami felt a pain, right in the centre of his head as he considered losing. He felt as though it would bloom into unbearable tearing. Fear settled in his gut. He _couldn’t_ lose. Even if it cost Kaiba his life.

‘Ah, a Magic Card.’ Kaiba turned it around. ‘Reborn the Monster, which I’ll use to resurrect the Blue Eyes head that was just destroyed by your Guardian.’  
‘What?’ Yami asked. ‘Restore a head of the Blue Eyes?’

But the head emerged from the rotted neck. ‘Now one of my Blue Eyes, with its normal attack strength of 3000 has just been reborn.’

‘With all of your Kuribohs in defence mode, I couldn’t attack you,’ Kaiba said. ‘But now that you’ve put an attack monster on the field, I can take the rest of your life points, which I’ll do next turn. Two of Ultimate Dragon’s heads are still weakened. The third can wipe out your Guardian in a breath. Our life points are equal, Yugi. Strike now if you dare. Otherwise, next turn, I swear I’ll take you down.’ And Seto Kaiba was not the kind to bluff.

 _If I destroy one of the Blue Eyes, I win, but what if the duel battle accidentally knocks him off the ledge._ Pain shot through Yami’s head again. They couldn’t think of that. Losing was not an option.

‘Surrender, Yugi,’ Kaiba told him. ‘That is unless you have the courage to unleash your attack.’ He drew his thumb across his neck.

_**I must.** _

Then something very odd happened. Yugi responded to him. _I can’t!_

‘We must,’ Yami said. The pain was building. The only was for it to stop was for them to win.

_No! It’s not right! There must be another way!_

_**There isn’t.**_ ‘Kaiba, I’ve never backed away!’ Yami barked. ‘And I’m not starting now! Celtic Guardian attack!’

Téa started to run forward as the Guardian charged but Sharee, much faster, shot over and grabbed her arm. When Téa looked at her, she shook her head. No. The Guardian had crossed half of the distance when Yami felt himself suddenly pitched back. He landed on his shoulders in his Chamber of the Mind and heard Yugi yell out one word.

‘Stop!’  
What just happened? Yami looked up as the eye appeared in front of him. Shamee was in there. It was clearly a communication window of sorts. Yami moved up, onto his feet. ‘Shamee, what…?’  
‘You went too far,’ Shamee said. ‘These are not our bodies, Yami. We’ve got to respect that. What we do, they have to live with.’


	25. Shining Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharee steps up to duel.

Téa was getting very scared.

‘Yugi?’ Joey asked.

‘Come on, Yug,’ Tristan said.

‘Why won’t he answer us?’ Téa demanded.

‘I’ve never seen him like this,’ Tristan murmured.

‘He’s totally out of it,’ Joey said.

‘Well, he did just lose his only chance to save his grandfather,’ Bakura pointed out.

‘Yeah.’ Sharee huffed and walked around. She crouched down and then delivered a hard slap across Yugi’s face. Without waiting for him to react, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him. ‘Yugi Moto, you listen to me right now. The spirit meant no harm! He’s just from a very different world where that sort of thing was acceptable. Where he and Shamee are from, if he didn’t take that course of action it meant certain death. Now, sitting on the ground moping about it isn’t going to help!’

Yugi still didn’t respond.

***

Sharee wasn’t sure how she ended up here. Oh, wait. Yes, she was. Mai showed up while Yugi was still in shock – which, by the way, hadn’t changed – and was offended when he wouldn’t accept the extra star chips she had. So Sharee found herself duelling Mai for them.

‘I’ll let you start,’ Mai said.

‘All right, then.’ Sharee looked over the cards in her hand. ‘I’ll throw the Abyss Flower out in attack mode.’ The square lit up and the Flower rose out. It snarled as it opened its mouth full of sharp teeth.

Mai nodded. ‘I’ll lay one card and then I play this. Harpy Lady, in attack mode!’ She laid the card down and her favourite monster appeared. ‘Destroy the Abyss Flower!’

The Harpy Lady screeched and dived in. Sharee winced slightly as the Flower was disintegrated. Her life points dropped down to thirteen hundred. Sharee’s eyes flickered to the card Mai had face-down.

‘Okay.’ Sharee pulled two more cards out of her hand. An idea began to formulate in her head. ‘I’ll lay one card face down too and place the Fire Sorcerer in defensive mode. With a defensive power of fifteen hundred, it’s higher than your Harpy Lady’s attack points.’

Sharee knew that made it obvious that she wasn’t hiding a trap.

‘Very clever,’ Mai said. ‘Until I use this.’ She held up a card. ‘The Rose Whip! Equipped with this, my Harpy Lady’s attack power is raised by three hundred points, making her more than strong enough to take out that Sorcerer of yours.’ Mai smiled triumphantly. ‘Harpy Lady, send that Sorcerer to the graveyard!’

The Harpy Lady cracked her Rose Whip. Sharee drew back and covered her face as her Fire Sorcerer was destroyed. That was her favourite monster too. She ground her teeth.

_**You need a hand?** _

_Only if my strategy doesn’t work._ Sharee drew. Good. That one was the monster she needed, but she also needed something in place if it failed. She only needed one more card. ‘I’ll lay this card in defence mode.’ Weak compared to the Harpy Lady, but face-down as it was Mai wouldn’t know that. ‘My only other move for this turn is to lay another card face-down on the field.’

‘Hm.’ Mai looked at it. ‘Before I take my turn, Sharee, answer something for me?’

‘Go ahead,’ Sharee said.

‘Why aren’t you a competitor in this tournament?’ Mai asked. ‘You’re cunning and methodical, just as every duellist needs to be, yet you’re only here as support.’

Sharee chuckled. ‘I don’t play games to win. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a competitive streak – a rather nasty one. If you put me in a scavenger hunt or something, I’d be the most competitive person you could possibly meet. I’d pull your hair and push you to the ground to get to the object first. And if, by some chance, you decided to try and do the same to me, I’d turn around and punch you in the face.’

Below, Sharee heard Joey make a remark. ‘Remind me never to get into a scavenger hunt with her.’

Sharee went on, smiling slightly. ‘But when it comes to any kind of games, from solitaire to Monopoly to Duel Monsters, I play to play. Too much competition in a game has the potential to suck all the fun out of it.’ Sharee rolled her neck. ‘Of course, that’s not to say I wasn’t invited here. I was. I just gave all my stuff to Joey. He’d needs it more than I do.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Besides, there was something more than a little fishy about that invite.’

‘What do you mean?’ Mai asked.

‘I don’t compete,’ Sharee said. ‘If I don’t compete, people don’t know how good or bad I am at the game. The only people who know I even play are the ones who know me. There is nothing exceptional about a teenaged girl playing cards with her friends. How did Pegasus know I even played the game? How does he know I’m any good at it? After all, it was the world’s best that were called here, wasn’t it?’ Sharee shook her head. ‘No, no, Mai. He wants something.’

As she’d been speaking, Mai had looked thoughtful. She nodded. ‘Fair point.’ She pulled two cards from her hand. ‘All right, let’s get this show back on the road. First, I’ll take care of those two cards you’ve got face-down on the field with Harpy’s Feather Duster.’ She activated the spell card.

‘Harpy’s Feather Duster?’ Téa demanded.

‘Simple in theory, simple in practice,’ Sharee said as she picked up her spell card, Amulet of Ambition, and her trap card, Destruct Potion. She dropped them into her graveyard pile. ‘Harpy’s Feather Duster sends all of your opponent’s spell or trap cards to the graveyard.’

‘That’s right.’ Mai held up her other card. ‘And I’ll also use this.’

Sharee saw the card. It was familiar enough because Sharee had seen Mai duelling Joey. ‘Cyber Shield.’

‘With this combined with my Harpy Lady, I can further raise her attack points by five hundred, bringing her up to twenty-two hundred attack points!’

The Harpy Lady flew up into the air with an almighty screech. Her body glowed brightly and, when it faded, she was wearing armour. Her attack points shot up, just like last time. Sharee quickly did the math in her head and nodded. ‘Oh, very pretty.’ She looked down at her deck. Yugi needed time, but Mai wasn’t prepared to wait.

‘Attack her defence, Harpy Lady!’ Mai ordered and her monster easily destroyed Sharee’s Blade Skater.

One card. That was all she needed.

_**Heart of the Cards.** _

Sharee reached down, putting all her faith into the draw. These cards, after all, drew their origins from the Shadow Games of Ancient Egypt, when real monsters were used for the fights. In that regard they were the real monsters. And they were just as alive as she was. If she believed, the cards would come through for her.

The necessary card was in Sharee’s hand.

Down by their friends, Yugi finally lifted his head.

***

Yugi had slowly come back to himself. Sharee’s words began ringing in his ears. She knew more about this than anyone else. And he was only now just realising that, because she had something in there too, she understood what was happening.

_‘The spirit meant no harm!’_

But he was willing to risk Kaiba getting hurt.

_‘…From a very different world where that sort of thing was acceptable!’_

A world where that was acceptable? Yugi found that hard to imagine. What kind of world was that?

_‘…if he didn’t take that course of action, it meant certain death!’_

Certain death? If Sharee wasn’t exaggerating, it did explain what had happened. But didn’t he realise…?

_‘…sitting on the ground moping about it isn’t going to help!’_

Yugi finally lifted his head. His friend all noticed and turned to him.

‘Yugi!’ Téa cried. ‘You’re back!’

Yugi nodded and looked up. From the looks of it, Sharee had gotten into a duel with Mai somehow while he’d been out of it. Sharee had no monster out on the field but she was smirking.

‘I think we ought to call this duel to a close, Mai.’ Sharee held up a card. ‘And I know just how to do it.’ She laid the card down. ‘I summon the Dark Witch!’ The monster took up form on the field, a female humanoid with large wings and carrying a long spear.

‘But wait a minute,’ Tristan said. ‘The Harpy Lady’s attack is much higher than the Dark Witch’s.’

‘Yugi?’ Joey asked.

‘What’s that card in her hand?’ Yugi asked, nodding. His friends all looked.

‘Okay, yeah. The Harpy Lady is four hundred attack points stronger than my Dark Witch, but that won’t last for long.’ Sharee turned the card in her hand around. ‘The Bracer of Power will raise my Witch’s attack points by five hundred.’

The Dark Witch was shrouded by light and her attack points shot up so she was now stronger than the Harpy. Mai drew back, clearly surprised. Yugi, himself, was seasonably impressed. He’d seen Sharee duel before, but never seriously.

And he could tell it was Sharee.

‘Dark Witch, attack!’ she ordered. ‘Destroy the Harpy Lady! Dark Spear Attack!’

The Witch charged forward and in the next moment, the Harpy was lanced on her spear. Harpy Lady disintegrated. That was Mai’s only monster. A few minutes later, Sharee was back down with them. She held her hand out to Yugi.

‘I believe that’ll get us in.’

Five star chips.


	26. Champion Vs. Creator Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the duel between Pegasus and Kaiba.

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘We finally made it. Pegasus’s castle.’

‘Race you there, Joey!’ Tristan called.

‘You’re on!’

Sharee didn’t see the point. They were all already running for the door. Though why they were all running, Sharee didn’t know. They could just as effectively walk. She imagined it was the excitement.

The guard – Kimo, Sharee realised – stepped forward. ‘Oh, no. No way you brats won ten star chips each.’

‘Oh, boy,’ Téa said.

‘Get lost!’ Kimo snapped. ‘This isn’t some clubhouse. It’s a place reserved for the duelling elite!’

Yugi, Joey and Mai stepped forward and showed off their star chips.

‘Hm,’ Mai said. ‘I guess that means we’ll fit right in.’

‘Uh…’ Kimo stammered.

Joey brushed past. ‘Would you mind telling housekeeping that I like my pillows extra fluffy? Thank you.’

Kimo growled.

‘You’re a doll,’ said Mai as she and Yugi walked past. She then put her star chips into the lock. ‘Last one and…’ She turned the dial and the door unlocked. ‘Viola!’ The doors opened.

‘At last, we’re finally at the castle,’ Yugi said. The three of them went in and Sharee, Téa, Tristan and Bakura went to follow.

Kimo got in their way. ‘No, no, no! You four don’t even have duelling gloves!’

Tristan, Téa and Bakura looked nervous but Sharee stepped forward, a wicked smirk on her face. ‘No, but there is a higher authority on this island than Pegasus that allows us in.’

‘Really?’ Kimo scowled. ‘And who might that be?’

Sharee brought her knee up into the bottom off his ribcage. He made a sound in the back of his throat and keeled over. Sharee, Tristan, Téa and Bakura ran past him, ignoring his pained protests and the group closed the door, locking it behind them.

‘There’s no time to waste,’ Yugi said, leading them along the hallway.

‘You heard the man, let’s go!’ Joey added as they followed.

They didn’t stop until they came to the upper gallery. ‘Hey!’ Yugi said. ‘Isn’t that…?’

‘Bandit Keith!’ Joey finished. ‘I can’t stand this guy.’

Keith turned around and smirked at them. He put one hand on his hip. ‘Well, what d’you know? If it isn’t big, tough Joey and his whole crew of duelling dummies?’

‘You slime-bucket! I’ve been waiting to find you ever since you left us trapped in that cave!’ He growled and attacked him, ineffectually as Keith either dodged or blocked every punch.

‘Missed me. Oops! Too slow. Can’t this little grudge of yours wait?’

‘You wish, creep!’ Joey snapped.

‘Okay,’ Keith said. ‘Suit yourself but the real action…’ He looked down. ‘…is about to start.’

‘The real action?’ Joey asked, stopping his attacks and they all come over to have a look.

Sure enough, Sharee saw Seto Kaiba down there. He had his duelling disks and was clearly waiting on Pegasus. There was a blank look on his face though. It was something that was frequently there.

‘Yeah, the world champ and Pegasus,’ Keith said.

‘Whoa!’ Yugi breathed. ‘It’s Kaiba.’

‘I hoped to get first crack at the old man myself, but you know they save the biggest match for last,’ Keith stated.

Sharee frowned at him. ‘You need an ego adjustment.’

‘Wait a minute,’ Yugi said. ‘Are you saying those two are gonna duel?’

‘That is correct.’ They all turned and saw a man in a suit coming over. Sharee could guess who he was and he quickly confirmed it. ‘Welcome, finalists. I’m Croquet, Chief Tournament Liaison.’

_And probably the head of security._

‘Congratulations on making it this far,’ Croquet went on. ‘Pegasus is quite taken with all of your duelling talents. In fact, he’s so impressed he wanted to reward you with some entertainment. A special exhibition match. I think you’ll all be quite in awe of what you’re about to see. This match should give you an idea of what’s in store for all of you.’

‘So basically, it’s meant to intimidate us, huh?’ Mai asked.

‘Why would Pegasus do something like that?’ Croquet asked, causing Mai’s eyes to narrow.

‘Because he’s a Grade A nutcase,’ Joey said.

‘Who is very lucky he’s doing this in the year 1996 AD and not 3000 BC,’ Sharee added, injecting a subtle threat into her statement.

Croquet cleared his throat. ‘Enjoy the match.’ He turned and walked away. They turned back to where the duel was going to be.

‘This should be interesting,’ Yugi said.

Sharee nodded and watched Kaiba’s hand wrap around something as he closed his eyes, but only for a moment. When he tensed, she knew Pegasus was coming. Sure enough, he walked in the other way. She heard the chuckle before she saw him.

‘Where’s my brother?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘What?’ Pegasus asked as he walked forward with his two cronies. ‘No “hello”? No “how are you”? I thought we were friends, Kaiba-boy. Don’t tell me that my kidnapping Mokuba and seizing control of your company has put a rift between us? It was nothing personal. Besides, it’s not like I hurt your kid brother. He’s perfectly safe. In fact, you can have him back if you like. Just beat me in a duel like we agreed and I’ll hand him over. I mean one little victory shouldn’t be a problem for the duel monsters world champ.’

Sharee scowled. _As long as he’s using the Millennium Eye, it is._

‘I can’t believe I’m saying this,’ Joey said. ‘But I’m not hoping Kaiba loses this duel. I still say he’s a first-class jerk for everything he put us through, but I can’t help but feel for him trying to get his kid brother back.’

‘Far as I’m concerned, anyone who stands up to Pegasus can’t be all bad,’ Tristan agreed.

Every one of their friends nodded in agreement.

Pegasus looked up at them. ‘Come now, Kaiba. It’s so gauche to keep us in suspense, especially with in audience waiting in the wings.’

Kaiba looked up at them. His eyes widened in surprise.

‘Hey there, Kaiba,’ Yugi said.

‘Yugi?’ Kaiba asked. ‘How could you be in here after I defeated you?’

‘We’re a lot more resourceful than we look.’ Sharee answered for him. She turned her eyes to the game creator. ‘While we’re on that subject. Pegasus, before this duel starts, I’d like to point just one thing out.’

‘Oh?’ Pegasus asked. ‘And what’s that?’

Sharee’s eyes narrowed. ‘When the Millennium Items were originally forged, they were tools for justice, not torture. And that includes your Millennium Eye.’

***

‘I should’ve known you’d find a way.’ Kaiba turned away, smiling to himself. He looked back at Pegasus.

What Sharee had said rolled around in his head. Well, now he knew what to call Pegasus’s artificial eye. Made of gold, yes, but figured it’d be an Ancient Egyptian artefact. Pegasus couldn’t ever do anything normally. It must’ve been some kind of superstition that she was calling him on.

Kaiba knew all about Sharee’s family background. He’d looked into it on the way over to the Island, to see how her sister had managed to hack in and open communications with him. The Pertinicles were a gifted family.

Pegasus looked back at him. ‘If you’re ready, Kaiba, I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time.’

‘Good.’ Kaiba set his briefcase down and opened it. He picked up one of the duelling disks and threw it to Pegasus.

‘Oh!’ Pegasus caught it.

‘You’ll have no problem duelling with this,’ Kaiba said.

Pegasus looked it over.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. ‘Well?’

‘You want to duel me with your latest contraption?’ Pegasus asked. ‘But I don’t even know how the silly device even works. Do I spin it like a top or roll it like a ball?’ He did just that and his two goons both ran after it and then brought it back to him.

‘Cut the theatrics!’ Kaiba snapped.

‘Ooo!’ Pegasus drawled. ‘Kaiba means business. Okay then, how about we settle this like businessmen would? I’ll agree to use your system if you’ll agree to a request that I have.’

‘What?’ Kaiba asked.

‘Nothing that will change the game, of course,’ Pegasus said. ‘I just want someone else to operate your little device for me.’ His Millennium Eye glinted.

‘I smell a rat!’ Bandit Keith snapped.

Pegasus chuckled and looked up at him. ‘I assure you, I’ll still make all the strategic decisions. The game play won’t change at all.’

‘Who?’ Sharee asked, her voice only just audible to him.

‘So why the request?’ Kaiba asked. ‘Why not fight your own battle for once in your life?’

Pegasus clapped twice. ‘Show Kaiba the lad who’ll play as my pawn and he’ll understand my request.’

When Kaiba saw what Pegasus meant, his heart restricted painfully in his chest.

***

‘Son of a disease-ridden pooch,’ Sharee murmured behind him.

Yugi had to agree. Pegasus was going to try to use Mokuba to duel Kaiba. ‘That’s his brother!’ And there was no response in him. 

‘Mokuba!’ Kaiba cried. The soulless body didn’t respond. ‘It’s me.’

‘Something’s not right,’ Yugi said.

‘It’s like he’s been hypnotised,’ Téa murmured.

Sharee growled. ‘He should be that lucky.’

‘I apologise if he doesn’t seem quite like himself,’ Pegasus said, ignoring the way Kaiba was shaking in anger. ‘But I happen to find that the captives I keep are far easier to manage after I’ve made an extraction of sorts.’

Yugi saw it now. He looked up at Sharee. ‘You were right.’

Sharee nodded. ‘And I hate it when that happens.’

‘You monster!’ Kaiba snapped.

Pegasus chuckled. ‘Now, now, Kaiba boy.’ He held up a soul card with Mokuba’s image on it. ‘Petty insults aren’t the way to get your brother’s soul back.’ He laughed.  
Kaiba drew back.

‘What’s Pegasus mean?’ Mai asked.

‘He must’ve done to Mokuba what he did to Yugi’s grandpa,’ Tristan concluded.

‘He did.’ Sharee frowned. ‘My father found a tomb that detailed a game Ancient Egyptians used to play, that tied into the Millennium Items. It said if you lost in this game, you forfeited your soul.’

‘Isn’t that ancient superstition?’ Mai asked.

‘Don’t know.’ Sharee stared down. ‘I’ve seen some really weird things in those places.’

Pegasus laughed. ‘I told you your little brother was perfectly safe and he is. But how long he remains that way is up to you. Beat me in a duel and I’ll release him as promised. But fail and not only will his soul remain in bondage, but yours will join it.’

‘Defeat you?’ Kaiba demanded. ‘I’ll crush you!’

Yugi stared down. _I had no idea._ But Sharee had. _I knew Pegasus kidnapped Mokuba, but I had no clue that he snatched his soul too._ It suddenly occurred to him. _Of course! That’s why Kaiba went to such lengths to beat me. Guess his brother’s even worse-off than we thought. Mokuba’s like my grandpa now. I have to help Kaiba any way I can._

‘So it’s settled,’ Pegasus said as the goon handed the disk to Mokuba. ‘We’ll use your new invention. But your brother will operate it for me.’

‘Wait, Pegasus!’ Kaiba insisted.

‘What’s the matter, Kaiba-boy?’ Pegasus asked. ‘This was your idea. Using your own system is sure to give you quite the advantage. What’s the problem?’

Kaiba dropped his head, still shaking. ‘He’s been through enough already. Okay, then, Pegasus. You win. We won’t use it.’

‘But that’s his edge!’ Yugi stated.

Sharee explained it. ‘Maybe so, but Kaiba can’t stand duelling his own brother. To him, nothing’s worth that. Just like if it was my sister and me in that circumstances I wouldn’t be able to. Even more so in their case.’

‘We’ll duel on your terms,’ Kaiba said. ‘Just keep my little brother out of this.’

Pegasus knelt down and laid his hands on Mokuba’s shoulders. ‘So rather than duel your empty shell with a device he’s perfected, he’ll give me home-field advantage. Fine with me. Take him away.’

The goon obeyed and Mokuba’s body was led out of the room.

‘You creep,’ Kaiba said.

Pegasus turned back to him. ‘Watch yourself, Kaiba. You’re in my world now.’ He clicked. Suddenly the catwalk came apart between them and Sharee made a sound of interest. Yugi looked at her and then up. There was a…

‘Wow!’ Joey said. ‘Check out the automated bridge.’

‘Oh!’ Téa saw what they were looking at. ‘Forget the bridge. An entire arena’s coming down.’

‘That or the biggest elevator ever built,’ Tristan said.

Mai looked down at the arena as it connected to the catwalk. ‘This should be good. The two biggest legends in Duel Monsters going at it? This is what it’s all about.’ The cables that had lowered the arena disconnected and the holographic projectors came out.

Pegasus took a deck from the goon next to him and stepped up to his duelling board. On the other side, Kaiba stepped up to his own. The last of the projectors came up and each showed up with 2000 life points. Pegasus set his deck down.

‘Ready, Kaiba?’ Pegasus asked. ‘Your brother’s fate hangs in the balance.’

Kaiba pulled out his own duelling deck and set it down. Yugi was about to call down to him to remember to believe in the Heart of the Cards when he felt Sharee clap a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her.

Sharee shook her head. ‘I think he knows. For this and now, we can’t help him. We’ll worry about it if he loses this duel.’

An echo in his head seemed to agree and Yugi nodded.

***

Sharee watched as the duel began.

‘We’ve known each other for a long time,’ Kaiba said. ‘And now we’ll see if the master is the Duel Monsters creator or the champion. You have nowhere left to hide, Pegasus!’  
Sharee didn’t know why Pegasus had never said he took the inspiration for Duel Monsters from an ancient Egyptian game. She knew she rarely said it because the Sacred Guardians, or rather their descendants, had asked her not to. Was it possible that Pegasus had been asked to exert the same curtesy?

They both spoke then. ‘Time to duel.’

Sharee watched as they each drew five cards.

‘Look at you,’ Pegasus said. ‘The first move and already you’re nervous.’ He laid a card face down. ‘Here. Defence mode. Feel better? Oh, and I’ll play this card too.’ He laid another one down. ‘I think I’ll keep it face down for now, just to keep you guessing.’

Sharee didn’t think so.

‘It’s my turn now.’ Kaiba drew. He looked at his card. ‘I’ll lay a card face down too.’ He set it down. ‘And also, I play Rude Kaiser face up, in attack mode.’ The Kaiser appeared on the field with a growl. ‘Go Rude Kaiser. Attack Pegasus’s defence card. Four Arm Slash!’ Rude Kaiser shot forward and cut the defence monster down.

‘Oh, no!’

Sharee thought Pegasus sounded a little too dramatic.

‘I’d expect more from you, Pegasus,’ Kaiba said.

‘I had no idea that you had such powerful cards at your disposal, Kaiba,’ Pegasus said. ‘I don’t think I have a beast in my entire deck that could compare with that creature.’ He drew and brightened up. ‘Hold on! I may have spoken too soon.’ He laid the card down and a large parrot monster appeared on the field. ‘Yes, here’s the perfect card. Parrot Dragon. Attack. Bombarding Beak!’

‘Not so fast. I played a card face down too, remember?’ Kaiba asked.

‘You what?’ Kaiba asked.

‘And I’m activating its magic right now.’ Kaiba lifted the card. ‘The Mesmeric Control card. It trances your monster and reduces its attack power by 800 points.’ As he spoke, just that happened. ‘Kaiser, Four Arm Slash! Carve up that bird!’ The Kaiser attacked and destroyed the Parrot Dragon.

‘Oh, no!’ And again with the over-dramatic.

Sharee looked at Kaiba in time to see his eyes narrow and intuition spark across them. He knew something was wrong and good for him.

‘I don’t get it.’ And bad for Tristan. ‘Pegasus talks the big game, but duels like a kid.’

‘It’s almost like he’s toying with him,’ Mai said.

‘Yeah. Wait!’ Joey turned to Yugi. ‘Didn’t he pull this act with you?’

Yugi nodded. ‘Yup. I guess he doesn’t even take the World Champion seriously. I just hope Kaiba catches on before it’s too late.’

‘I think he has,’ Sharee said.

***

 _Something’s not right,_ Kaiba thought. _This is all too easy. Pegasus doesn’t even seem to be trying. I’ve taken out two of his monsters without him even putting up a fight. It’s almost like he expected me to do it. Like he knew exactly how I was going to attack him._ ‘My turn, Pegasus.’ He drew. ‘Hm.’ _Another good card. But if I’m right about Pegasus and he is just playing with me, he might be able to counter it._

Pegasus was humming to himself and looking over the cards in his hand.

Kaiba added it to his hand. _I’m not falling for this bit. No way. I’ll just play something that I know he can’t defend against. My Blue Eyes!_ Kaiba began to throw the card down but he didn’t even get to start bringing it down.

‘Stop right there!’ Pegasus held his hand up.

‘Huh?’ Kaiba asked.

‘I’d like to play a little guessing game with that card you’re about to throw out on the field,’ Pegasus said.

Kaiba couldn’t believe this. ‘A game? We’re in the middle of a duel here!’

‘What?’ Pegasus asked innocently. ‘I’m allowed to play a game. My trap card said so.’

‘Trap?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘I played a card face down. Don’t you remember?’ Pegasus held up the card in question. ‘It’s called Prophecy and it gives me the right to predict whether the card you’re about to play has an attack power higher or lower than 2000. And if I manage to guess correctly, Kaiba-boy, then the card in question becomes mine.’

‘What?’ Kaiba drew back. He’d never heard of this card before. ‘You can’t just…’

‘And I think I’ll prophesise that it is indeed over 2000,’ Pegasus said.

Oh, no. This couldn’t be happening. Kaiba felt a painful pang in his chest, like he was losing a part of himself.

Pegasus wasn’t through. ‘But wait…wait. Something else is coming. Yes. Yes, I see blue. I see white. Could it be…? Yes. Of course. I see the Blue Eyes White Dragon!’

This couldn’t…he couldn’t…

‘Was I right?’ Pegasus asked. ‘Tell me I was right. I was right, right? Oh, I so hope I was right!’

‘Enough!’ Kaiba slapped the card into the transfer slot. ‘Here. Take it.’

Pegasus chuckled and held the card up. ‘Now the most valuable card in your deck is mine.’

Kaiba was shaking in anger. _That’s impossible. There’s no way he could’ve seen my Blue Eyes before I played it. How did he know?_

***

Yugi watched this critically. ‘Pegasus must be up to his old tricks.’

‘You got that right,’ Joey said.

_He must be using his Millennium Eye to look at Kaiba’s cards, just like he did with me. Poor Kaiba. Even his great skills don’t stand a chance against Pegasus’s powers._

‘Now I have two things you care about, Kaiba,’ Pegasus said. ‘Your Dragon and your brother.’ He chuckled. ‘Let’s see what else I can take. After your turn, of course.’

‘Without my Blue Eyes White Dragon I have no choice but to switch my monster to defence mode,’ Kaiba said.

‘Goody, now it’s my turn again.’ Pegasus drew. ‘I’ll lay one card face down on the field. And one monster face down in defence mode.’ He did it as he said it. ‘And I’m afraid that’s the best that I can come up with.’

‘My turn.’ Kaiba pulled two cards from his hand and laid them on the field. Soggy the Dark Clown appeared on the field.

‘Wait, I remember this move,’ Bakura said.

Téa evidentially did too. ‘Yeah, it’s the same thing that Kaiba used on Yugi in their duel.’

‘But this time Pegasus is gonna catch the bug,’ Joey stated.

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ Sharee, on the other hand, knew enough about the Millennium Eye to follow Yugi’s thought path.

‘What?’ Their friends looked at her.

‘Pegasus knows that it’s coming,’ Yugi stated.

Then Pegasus went and confirmed it. ‘Since you just played your Crush Card, I think now would be an opportune time to activate this.’ Pegasus flipped up one of his face down cards as Kaiba drew back in shock. ‘Negative Energy! It doubles your Clown’s attack points. And since the Crush Card can only be hosted by monsters with less than 1000 points, my magic makes Soggy the Dark Clown too strong for the job.’ The Clown’s attack points rose. ‘So sorry. Ah, what’s wrong, Kaiba? You look so sad. I’m sure it was just a lucky move on my part.’

‘Yeah, and I’m from Fairyland,’ Sharee muttered.

‘But you know what they say: it’s better to be lucky than good.’ Pegasus flipped over his other card and laughed. ‘Ah, talk about luck! My Dark Rabbit.’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘And thanks to my Dark Energy spell, he’s twice as strong. But I’m sure he’s still no match for your stall-wood Clown.’ The Rabbit ran forward, laughing like a demented cartoon the whole time, attacked Soggy and the Clown was destroyed.

Kaiba’s life points dropped to 1000.

‘Oh, my!’ Bakura breathed.

Joey remarked. ‘And I always thought a rabbit-punch was a wimpy move.’

‘I’ve never seen Kaiba so shaken before,’ Téa said.

Yugi gritted his teeth. ‘This is bad. The duel just started and Kaiba’s already a thousand life points behind.’ Kaiba was losing. If he didn’t find a way to trip up that Millennium Eye, both he and his brother were doomed.


	27. Chapion Vs. Creator Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pegasus can somehow see the cards in Kaiba's hand.
> 
> Kaiba takes a gamble.

‘That Millennium Eye,’ Yugi said and all his friends look at him. ‘It somehow lets Pegasus see all of the cards in Kaiba’s hand.’

Mai chuckled. ‘Come on. Tell me you’re not serious!’

‘No, no,’ Sharee said. ‘He’s right. Each of the Millennium Items are rumoured to have the ability to see into mind, soul or heart.’ She frowned. ‘And none in the same way.’

‘Wow,’ Joey said. ‘I know you said that thing had magical powers, but I didn’t know it could help him win duels too. How’s anybody supposed to win against that kinda power?’

‘It’s possible,’ Sharee said. ‘Just not very easy.’

Yugi nodded. He knew that she knew far more about the Millennium Items than she was letting on. ‘Still, I wouldn’t count Kaiba out of this match just yet. He may be trailing now, but he didn’t get to be World Champion without learning a few comeback tricks.’

***

Kaiba gritted his teeth. _This is absurd! It’s as if Pegasus could see my cards before I play them. He shook his head. But that’s impossible._ He drew. _I just need to trust my old skills._ ‘No card in my hand can defeat the deranged Rabbit. But at least I can protect myself from him.’ He laid his card down. ‘Defence mode. Now I have two monsters on the field, guarding my life points. Your turn, Pegasus.’

‘As you wish, Kaiba-boy.’ Pegasus drew and smiled. ‘Tell me something, my old friend. Did you like watching cartoons in your youth?’

Kaiba didn’t answer. He knew this was leading up to something.

‘Is that a no?’ Pegasus asked. ‘Kaiba, you’re even more cold-hearted than I thought.’ He clasped his hands together. ‘For me, they were the absolute best! And none was closer to my heart than the misadventures of one tricky hare. I am speaking, of course, of Funny Bunny. Such a clever rabbit, forever evading Ruff-Ruff McDog and his Long Paw of the Law. Oh, how I’d spend hours watching their never-ending antics and perpetual game of hide and seek.’

‘Just make your move!’ Kaiba snapped.

Pegasus laughed. ‘But, Kaiba, that is my move.’

‘Your move’s a cartoon?’ Kaiba demanded.

‘Not just a cartoon, you simpleton.’ ‘An entire magical cartoon world! Welcome, Kaiba, to Toon World!’ Pegasus laid a card down and a book flew up on the field. It came down, opened with cartoon sound effects, both in word and auditory, and hovered. ‘Let the fun begin!’

‘You must be kidding!’ Kaiba insisted.

***

Sharee blinked. Where had she heard that?

‘Toon World?’ Téa asked. ‘It looks more like some kid’s pop-up book to me.’

‘I’ve never even heard of this whacky card,’ Joey said.

Tristan shifted behind them. ‘Hey, I think that Pegasus’s Dark Rabbit just pulled a Houdini.’

They all looked at where the Rabbit had been. He was right. It was gone.

‘So that’s the magic of Toon World?’ Kaiba demanded. ‘Now you can make your creatures disappear?’

‘Come now,’ Pegasus said. ‘Even cartoon bunnies can’t vanish into thin air. My Dark Rabbit simply went to his new home. And it’s a home that will prove to be the safest of havens. For as soon as I close that hard book cover, Toon World’s bindings can’t be penetrated by anything. But don’t worry. My Dark Rabbit won’t lock himself away in those pages without first paying you a visit. Dark Rabbit attack!’ The Dark Rabbit leapt out of the pages, looking even more demented than he did before.

‘Bad hair day,’ Mai said.

The Rabbit swung his fist around before throwing it into Kaiba’s defence, the Battle Ox, and destroying it. Then again it laughed, like a drunken madman, and jumped back into Toon World. The bindings closed.

‘Quite a painful chapter in your Battle Ox’s life, wouldn’t you say, Kaiba-boy?’ Pegasus asked. ‘I’d rise for your revenge, but the Dark Rabbit’s already safely back inside Toon World. Perhaps the next time that he comes out to give you and thumping, you can try taking a swing at him.’

‘You coward!’ Kaiba snapped.

‘Well, that’s not fair!’ Téa insisted.

‘He’ll keep doing this the entire duel,’ Yugi stated.

Kaiba was muttering to himself and laid a card down.

‘Looks like it’s my turn again,’ Pegasus said. ‘And my chance to show off even more Toon Power.’ He took a card from his hand and turned it around, displaying Kaiba’s Blue Eyes White Dragon. ‘And what better way to demonstrate than on a card I stole from you? Now I’ll show you what your beast is capable of under my control.

Kaiba drew back.

Pegasus laid the card down. ‘Blue Eyes White Dragon, awaken!’ The Blue Eyes appeared on the field with a roar.

Kaiba gritted his teeth. The hard cover of Toon World floated down to the Dragon.

‘And cross the threshold into Toon World!’ The Blue Eyes disappeared into the book. The hardback closed and flew up before it opened again. ‘Meet the new and improved Blue Eyes Toon Dragon.’ It popped out, much smaller and demented-looking. To Sharee’s eyes, it didn’t look real.

Kaiba seemed to share this opinion. ‘No! You’ve stripped him of his pride.’

‘Please.’ Pegasus drawled. ‘I’ve transformed this legendary beast into his supreme form. Also, I’ve made him look much more cuddly.’

‘I beg to differ,’ Sharee said.

‘Yeah.’ Joey nodded. ‘Of all the things that Blue Eyes is, cuddly sure ain’t one of them.’

‘For once, I think that Kaiba would agree,’ Yugi stated.

‘Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, attack the Rude Kaiser!’ Pegasus ordered. The Blue Eyes puffed out its now tiny body and shot a cartoonised version of White Lightning at Kaiba’s other defence monster, destroying it.

Kaiba jammed his eyes shut against the light of the attack.

‘How embarrassing!’ Pegasus almost laughed. ‘A world champion blasted by a character of his own most-trusted beast. However did that happen?’ He chuckled.

‘Pegasus.’ Kaiba closed his eyes. ‘Your underhanded duelling tactics have gone on long enough. It’s time someone put a stop to your cheating ways.’ He slapped the cards in his hand down.

Pegasus stopped laughing. ‘Huh?’

‘I may not know exactly how you’re cheating, but somehow you can see my cards,’ Kaiba said. ‘So, I’m abandoning my present hand. Perhaps if I can’t see what I’m playing, you can’t either.’

‘A gutsy move!’ Yugi stated.

‘Tell me, how do you think Pegasus is cheating?’ Tristan asked.

‘Millennium Eye,’ Sharee said simply.

Joey didn’t seem the hear her, but she knew Yugi did. ‘I don’t know. Maybe he’s got some hidden cameras somewhere around here.’

‘You really think so?’ Tristan asked.

‘Hey, I won’t put anything past that sleazy slime-ball,’ Joey said. ‘And I’ll tell you this, now that Kaiba’s not even looking at his cards he’s going to have to trust more in the Heart of the Cards if he’s going to have any chance of rescuing his brother.’

Sharee noticed Shamee chuckling to herself in the back of her mind. _What?_

_**Oh…nothing.** _

‘Here he goes,’ Yugi said.

Kaiba drew his card and didn’t even look at it. ‘I’ve put all my faith in this next card, so now let it be revealed!’ He threw it down and the Blue Eyes White Dragon rose up before him with a loud roar. Everyone gasped and drew back. ‘Yes! The Blue Eyes White Dragon!’

‘Incredible,’ Mai said. ‘That’s gotta be the luckiest draw I’ve ever seen.’

‘I think that draw was more about faith than luck,’ Tristan remarked.

Joey pumped his fist. ‘You said it, bud. Kaiba listened to his heart and it paid off for him big time!’

‘Pegasus, your card prophesising has failed you!’ Kaiba stated. ‘And now your Toon Dragon will fail you as well.’

‘Wow, I’ve never seen a monster go up against a whipped-out version of himself before,’ Joey said.

Sharee stared down. She knew that, normally, this sort of thing would end in a draw, but Pegasus had been fawning over Toon World and he left the Toon Dragon out, exposed. It stood to reason that there was something he hadn’t mentioned that may save his stolen beast. That and he was clapping.

‘Oh, this is going to be such fun!’ Pegasus insisted. ‘A Blue Eyes attacking his toon counterpart? There’s no end to the zany antics that could ensue from this!’

Kaiba was tensed up again. ‘Wrong. This isn’t one of your harebrained after school cartoons! Your toon won’t escape this!’

‘Oh, no.’ Pegasus laughed.

‘Something’s not right here,’ Mai said.

‘Yeah, Pegasus.’ Joey agreed.

Sharee narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ‘Wise man say: never look past a bad guy who laughs at anger.’ She noticed Yugi grit his teeth.

Kaiba called the attack. ‘Blue Eyes, attack with all your might. White Lightning!’

The Blue Eyes attack, sending a blast at its counterpart. But they saw something truly unexpected. The toon flexed its body and the blast went right past. ‘No way!’

Pegasus smirked.

‘What was that?’ Joey demanded.

‘That toon just stretched out of the way,’ Mai observed.

‘You should have watched more cartoons, Kaiba,’ Pegasus said. ‘The cuddliest creature never, ever gets hit. In three thousand, thirteen episodes of Funny Bunny Ruff-Ruff McDog never laid a paw on our cuddly hero. No! He would try and try, but never would he succeed. Such a clever little rabbit.’ He smirked at Kaiba. ‘And my creatures will employ the same cleverness every time you attack, because as long as my Toon World card is out everything I throw will be just as hard to pin down as my Toon Dragon.’

***

Hearing that, Yugi immediately became worried. ‘Kaiba will be creamed if all of his opponents are nothing but Toons!’

‘This isn’t fair!’ Joey insisted. ‘Just because Pegasus invented the game shouldn’t mean he can use some super card that no one knows about.’

Mai turned. ‘Yugi, Sharee, either of you ever hear of Toon World?’

‘Yeah.’ Sharee nodded.

Yugi turned to her. ‘All that I know about it is that it was never put into circulation. It was too powerful. I guess Pegasus must have the only one.’

‘That sounds real fair,’ Joey remarked blandly.

‘How can anyone beat Pegasus when he has cards like that at his disposal?’ Téa demanded.

‘With enormous difficulty,’ Sharee said.

***

‘Now, where were we Kaiba-boy?’ Pegasus asked. ‘Ah, yes. It was my turn.’

Kaiba just glared at him. So he had a toon he couldn’t hit…unless he found a way to hold it down. There was a card in his deck…well, what do you know? He actually was going to have to seriously employ Yugi’s Heart of the Cards strategy.

Pegasus held up his card. ‘I’ll play this: a new addition to Toon World.’ He laid it down. ‘The Shine Palace!’

Shine was right. A bright light came out of the book that held Took World and Kaiba had to cover his eyes.

‘Luminous, isn’t it?’ Pegasus asked. ‘And it makes for quite a handy plot twist. You see, the Shine Palace raised my Toon Dragon’s attack by five hundred points.’

‘That still won’t bring this story to an end!’ Kaiba insisted.

‘I beg to differ, Kaiba-boy,’ Pegasus said. ‘I think that I’ve just written the final chapter of your defeat! The light energy that my Toon Dragon absorbs from the Shine Palace makes him stronger than your Blue Eyes. Observe.’

Kaiba watched in disgust as the Toon Dragon flexed its muscles and showed off exploding volcano biceps. That was far beyond overdramatic. The attack points rose to 3500. What had Pegasus gone and done to him?

‘Blue Eyes Toon Dragon attack!’ Pegasus called. ‘White Lightning!’

The Toon Dragon attacked. ‘Not so fast!’ Kaiba flipped up his down card. ‘Activate magic card. Negate Attack!’ The White Lightning was neutralised before it hit the Blue Eyes. ‘My turn now.’ He looked down at his deck. The Heart of the Cards. _I bought some time, but I won’t be able to block that Toon Dragon’s attack again. I have to destroy that comic monstrosity here and now, otherwise not only will I have lost this duel but I’ll have lost my only chance of winning my brother’s soul back._ He drew, feeling like Mokuba was drawing right along with him. _I have to trust in my deck, for the both of us._ And it was just what he needed. ‘Perfect!’ He threw the card down. ‘Go, Shadow Spell!’

‘Ah!’ Pegasus cried out.

The chains came out and bound the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon. ‘Now not only can your Toon not move, but his attack power is lowered by seven hundred points,’ Kaiba said and just that happened.

Pegasus’s eyes narrowed.

‘Looks like Toons don’t always get the last laugh,’ Kaiba said. ‘Blue Eyes, White Lightning attack!’ His Blue Eyes attacked and, despite the wiggling it did, the Toon Dragon was destroyed.

Pegasus’s life points dropped to 1200.

‘Now do you understand that nothing will stop me from rescuing my brother, Pegasus?’ Kaiba demanded. That was one of the hardest moves he’d ever made. ‘Even destroying my own Blue Eyes.’

‘Aw, Kaiba-boy!’ Pegasus smirked. ‘Your treasured Blue Eyes White Dragons mean so very much to you, don’t they? Well, as creator of Duel Monsters, I’m truly touched by your devotion. But…’ He drew. ‘…when will you learn that the same devotion is not returned by the Blue Eyes? For as you’ll see…’ He turned the card around. ‘…they are not so loyal.’

A Dragon Capture Jar.

***

Ah, crap. Sharee had seen that one before.

‘Go, Dragon Capture Jar!’ Pegasus called as the item appeared on the field. ‘This will make two Blue Eyes that I’ve stolen from you, won’t it? How you must hate me!’ Pegasus laughed as the Jar absorbed the Blue Eyes and imprisoned it, despite it fighting.

 _Fighting?_ Sharee had never seen a dragon duel monster fighting against the Dragon Capture Jar. There must’ve been something about the Blue Eyes that they weren’t aware of.

Shamee tapped her chin in Sharee’s mind. _**Yeah, there is. I just…can’t remember what it is…**_

‘No!’ Yugi cried as they all watched the Dragon sucked in, basically screaming and struggling.

The eyes and mouth of the Jar glowed for a moment. Kaiba was shaking in anger.

‘Now all of your Dragon’s defence points have been transferred to my jaw where they’ll be at my disposal, Kaiba-boy,’ Pegasus said as the Jar’s defence points went up to 2700.

Kaiba drew. ‘Okay, Pegasus. I’m playing this in defence mode.’ He laid a card face down.

‘Then for my turn…’ Pegasus laid a card down. ‘…I’ll place this magic card face down and bring out the Dragon Piper. Defence mode!’

Sharee had a nasty feeling about that.

‘That could only mean one thing,’ Yugi said.

Kaiba was growling to himself but he could still be heard. ‘Pegasus is planning to draw my Dragon under his control.’

Pegasus chuckled. ‘You read my mind.’

Kaiba drew back.

The Duel Monster creator smirked. ‘And soon I will make him a toon, just like I did your other Blue Eyes. And then the fun will begin all over again.’

‘No way!’ Kaiba insisted. ‘Not if I can shatter that Dragon Piper right here.’ He turned his card. ‘I’m invoking the powers of the Sword Stalker!’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘Now, attack the Dragon Piper! Vengeance Strike!’ The Stalker charged.

Pegasus chuckled and flipped his down card up. ‘Did you forget about the magic card I just placed? Did you?’

Kaiba stared in shock.

‘It’s a little doo-dad called Doppelganger,’ Pegasus said. ‘It can copy anything on the field. I think I’ll have it copy your Crush Card.’

‘Eep!’ Sharee drew back.

‘And now I’ll infect my Dragon Piper with it!’ Pegasus said this as the Dragon Piper became discoloured.

‘Oh, no!’ Kaiba called.

‘But Kaiba’s just declared an attack on that Dragon Piper!’ Yugi turned his head. ‘His Stalker will be charging right into a trap.’

Sharee clenched her fists. ‘And it’s too late to stop him!’

Pegasus chuckled as the Stalker attacked the Piper. ‘Indeed it is.’ The Stalker was destroyed. ‘This virus incapacitates every one of Kaiba’s monsters that have more than fifteen hundred attack points. Including the ones in his deck.’

‘All of my cards are becoming infected!’ Kaiba cried.

Sharee gritted her teeth as Kaiba had to shift just about all his cards to the graveyard.

Pegasus chuckled. ‘That’s what you get, Kaiba-boy, when you stack your deck with monster cards that all have more than fifteen hundred offence points!’

‘I don’t believe it!’ Joey stated. ‘Kaiba’s getting done in by the same card that he tried to beat Yugi with!’

‘This can’t be it!’ Yugi insisted.

‘But that Crush Card totally obliterated his deck,’ Téa said. She was right.

‘All of my cards, gone.’ Kaiba picked up one. ‘This is the only one left that the virus didn’t affect, so it’s the only card I can play.’ He laid it down. ‘I use Reborn the Monster to revive Soggy the Clown.’

‘It’s your last move and you’re going to spend it reviving a clown?’ Pegasus demanded with a smirk on his face. ‘Oh, yes. That’s right, Kaiba. He’s the best you can do with my Virus still about. Shame when you consider all that’s on the line.’

Sharee’s Millennium Bandanna allowed her to hear Kaiba’s softly spoken words. ‘Mokuba, I’ve tried my very best.’

Pegasus heard as well. ‘Your best failed you! Koori Box, emerge and attack!’

Sharee half wondered where that came from as the monster, a hellish variant on a Jack-in-a-Box, appeared and pulled a scythe out of its mouth. It surged forward and attacked. But she was more focused on Kaiba.

‘Forgive me, Mokuba. I am so sorry.’ He closed his eyes and awaited the finishing blow.

Sharee winced as Soggy was sliced up and destroyed.

‘No way!’ Joey cried.

The Koori Box laughed and disappeared back into Toon World.

‘There are no more cards you can play,’ Pegasus said. ‘Therefore, you lose, Kaiba-boy.’

Kaiba looked at him and gritted his teeth.

‘And you’ve lost much more than just this duel, haven’t you, Kaiba?’ Pegasus asked. ‘You’ve lost the only chance you’ve had at rescuing your baby brother. You let him down. But don’t worry, my friend.’ He pulled a soul card out of his jacket. ‘I will spare you the agony of carrying on in this world without him.’

‘What is that?’ Kaiba demanded.

Pegasus’s Millennium Eye glowed brightly. ‘It is the final fate of your soul, Seto Kaiba!’

Kaiba cried out as his soul was torn from his body and there was left an empty shell where he’d been standing. His image appeared on the soul card. ‘And while your soul is away, your body will be employed as my obedient servant.’ Pegasus laughed, smiled and drew out the other one. ‘Ah, the brothers Kaiba. One in each hand. But even though your cards are so very close, your souls have never been further apart. At least, while I had Mokuba locked up, you were both still living within the same dimension.’ He chuckled. ‘But now you’re worlds apart!’

_**Not quite that far.** _

Pegasus tucked the cards away again. ‘Take away that empty shell. Teach it to wash dishes or something.’ Two of his goons came and dragged Kaiba’s body off.

‘Okay,’ Joey said. ‘Tell me I didn’t just see what I think I saw!’

Sharee looked down awkwardly. ‘…Okay.’

‘Kaiba…’ Téa murmured.

‘He’s gone too. Just because he was only trying to help his little brother out.’ Yugi dropped his head into his arm and cried. ‘He was like us. Just wanted to save someone he cared for!’ It lasted only until Sharee laid a comforting hand on his back, then he lifted his head and glared at Pegasus. ‘Why, Pegasus? Who are you to toy with our friends? Our families? I won’t let you get away with it!’

Below, Pegasus chuckled. Sharee felt Yugi call Yami forth and she called Shamee as well. These two always needed to present the united front they were.

***

Yami glared down at Pegasus’s calm face. ‘Pegasus! It won’t be long now til I put an end to your game.’

‘Yugi-boy,’ Pegasus said. ‘Don’t forget that you still have to get through the remaining rounds of this tournament to even win the privilege of challenging me.’

‘Win the privilege?’ Shamee scoffed under her breath.

Yami clenched his fist. ‘Rest assured, I’ll be at the finals. But the true privilege will be defeating you and undoing all the evil acts you’ve committed against my friends.’

Pegasus smirked and chuckled. ‘I look forward to your finest efforts, Yugi-boy. And wonderful performances from all our finalists. You truly are the best of the best. The crème de le crème.’ He chuckled again.

***

Kaiba fell back with a thud, his chest still stinging from the tearing sensation. His head spun so he didn’t know which way was up and his vision was blurry. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

‘Hang on a minute,’ a voice said. ‘Getting your soul ripped out is a really nasty business. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you. You just need some time to adjust. Take a few deep breaths.’

Despite the way his emotions were churning, Kaiba did as he was told. It was all he really could do. His vision cleared and his world righted. The pain in his chest dulled down. He found himself lying on the ground, looking up at an Egyptian girl with an unusual jade colour for her eyes.

‘Who are you?’ Kaiba asked.

‘Does it matter?’ the girl asked, somehow making the question sound friendly. ‘Aren’t you more interested in where you are?’

Kaiba sat up and looked around. There appeared to be a void of nothing but blackness around them. ‘Yes.’

‘This is the Shadow Realm,’ the girl said. ‘Pegasus tore out your soul and put it here. It’s where all stolen souls by the Millennium Items end up.’

‘Millennium…’ Kaiba remembered that Sharee had said something about Pegasus having the Millennium Eye. ‘Is Mokuba here?’

‘Who’s Mokuba?’ the girl asked.

‘My little brother,’ Kaiba said. ‘Pegasus stole his soul too!’

‘Then he would be.’

Kaiba went to run looking for him but the girl stopped him, grabbing his arm.

‘Wait a minute,’ she said. ‘The Shadow Realm is enormous. I’ve been here five thousand years and even I don’t know how vast it is. You can’t go charging off like that. You’ll need help finding your brother.’

Kaiba turned to her. ‘Help from you?’ he asked doubtfully.

‘No.’ The girl shook her head. ‘I have to help the spirit that shares Yugi Moto’s vessel. I was thinking someone who’s far more loyal to you specifically.’ She whistled and then smiled at the distance.

Kaiba turned and froze. He almost couldn’t believe it. The Blue Eyes White Dragon was flying towards them. It came down and landed without its usual roar though. Instead, it laid its head down so Kaiba imagined he could climb on quite easily.

‘This is…’ He breathed.

The girl explained. ‘When I was alive, the game that you now call Duel Monsters we called the Shadow Games. It’s what Pegasus based the card game on, but if we lost we ended up here. The things was that we played with real monsters and real magic. This is the true Blue Eyes White Dragon. She will protect you while you’re here and help you find your brother.’

Kaiba tightened his jaw and climbed onto the head. He found it easier to stay balanced than he expected as it lifted its head and took off. Kaiba kept his eyes peeled as he looked out for Mokuba. At the same time, with the Blue Eyes as he was, he felt…happy.

And he never felt happy.


	28. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or the calm before the storm.

Sharee sat in the dining hall with her friends. She noticed the portraits on the wall, recognising one of them. Pegasus had evidentially met and then painted a picture of Shadi. Wouldn’t the guardian be so pleased at what the guy did with the Millennium Eye? Note sarcasm.

Tristan and Joey were pigging out.

‘Gimme seconds of that cheese!’ Joey called.

‘Yeah, and the ham!’

‘And that weird, jelly, cake-looking thing!’

‘If this was a duel munchers competition, you two would win,’ Téa said.

Sharee laughed.

Croquet came in. ‘On behalf of Mr. Maximillion Pegasus, I’d like to congratulate the four finalists and welcome them to this final phase of the Duellist Kingdom competition. I trust you all have your play-off entry cards.’

‘Huh?’ everyone at the table asked.

‘In your invitation to the Duellist Kingdom, you received these two cards.’ Croquet held them up and Sharee recognised them. ‘Glory of the King’s Hand and Glory of the King’s Opposite Hand. You must have one of these to participate in final rounds of the tournament. Those without them are disqualified.’

Both of Sharee’s cards were at home, keeping her desk even. Rats. Joey’ll be needing those.

‘So that’s what they’re for,’ Yugi said.

‘Each card provides unique prizes,’ Croquet said. ‘The Glory of the King’s Hand card is needed to claim the three million dollar cash prize. The Opposite Hand card allows the winner to challenge Pegasus for the championship.’

Joey drew back, startled. Sharee winced apologetically.

‘To make tomorrow’s tournament interesting, your host has added a special ingredient to your soup,’ Croquet said, causing them all to look down.

In Yugi’s, Mai’s, Joey’s and Keith’s soups metal eyes floated to the surface and, quite amusingly to Shamee, everyone jumped out of their skin.

‘Ah!’ Téa cried, flinching away from the one in Yugi’s soup. ‘It’s staring at me!’

Sharee chuckled. ‘It’s an inanimate object, Téa. How can it be staring at you?’

Tristan stirred his spoon around in his soup bowl. ‘Hey, mine’s eyeball-free.’

Joey jumped to his feet. ‘Hey! This is worse than having a fly in my soup!’

‘You know, in some countries, they have actual eyeball-soup.’ Sharee grinned wickedly.

‘Open up the eye and look inside it if you will,’ Croquet said. ‘Each of you has been randomly assigned a letter.’ The four finalists opened the eyes and pulled out a small scroll of paper with, as Croquet said, letters on them.

‘What’s this for?’ Yugi asked.

A screen rolled down above Croquet’s head. ‘And now, the island’s computer will pair up the letters with tomorrow’s duel match-ups.’

‘Gee, I wonder who’s going to have to face who,’ Téa said.

‘Keep your hair brown,’ Sharee told her. ‘We’re about to find out.’

The image rolled into vision. ‘And tomorrow’s duels are as follows. A verus B. C versus D.’

Joey stood up again. ‘Who has C?’

Keith chuckled. ‘Me, runt.’

Joey glared at him. ‘All right. It’s payback for trapping us in that cave!’

Keith smirked. ‘Once I crush you, you’ll wish you were still in that cave.’

Joey growled.

‘Down, Joey,’ Sharee advised him. ‘Now is not the time to get into a fistfight. It can wait til tomorrow.’

‘Well, looks like it’s you and me, Mai,’ Yugi said.

‘I’m looking forward to this duel,’ Mai responded.

Yugi smiled. ‘Yeah. Me too and may the best duellist win.’

‘The duels are set,’ Croquet said. ‘Yugi Moto versus Mai Valentine and Bandit Keith versus Joey Wheeler. Please enjoy the rest of this feast because, for three of you tomorrow, your long journey will end in failure.’

Sharee nodded and turned back to her meal as Croquet left. Joey and Tristan went right back to stuffing their faces. She shook her head. Only half an hour later, they were finished.

‘I’m stuffed like a sumo wrestler,’ Joey said, rubbing his belly.

Tristan huffed. ‘That was good.’

‘I can’t believe you drank the entire eyeball soup,’ Téa said.

Yugi walked over to Joey. ‘Hey, there, Joey.’

‘Huh?’ Joey looked at him.

‘We better get to bed,’ Yugi said. ‘We’ll need our rest if we’re all going to be in top shape for the tournament tomorrow.’

‘Yug.’ Joey averted his eyes. ‘What’s the point? Since I don’t have that card…’

Yugi held up card. ‘Actually this Glory of the King’s Hand card is yours, Joey. Why don’t you just think of it as an early birthday present?’

Téa smiled. ‘Oh, Yugi!’

Joey looked surprised. ‘But, Yug…you need it.’

‘The rules never said we need both cards to compete so we each only need one,’ Yugi said.

‘Yeah.’ Now he looked nervous.

‘If you give up now, who’s going to save your sister?’ Yugi asked. ‘What kind of big brother would you be if you didn’t even try to win the prize money?’

‘Yugi!’

‘And besides, Joey,’ Yugi pointed out the other card. ‘Think about the odds. If we’re both in the tournament, it doubles our chance of winning the entire thing. So take it, okay?’ He handed him the Glory of the King’s Hand card.

‘Take it!’ Téa told him.

‘Okay.’ Joey took the card. ‘You’re a real pal, Yugi.’

Mai stood up. ‘All this lovey-dovey stuff is making my skin crawl, so goodnight boys and girls and I’ll catch you tomorrow, Yugi.’

Yugi nodded and she headed off to bed. Soon after that, the rest of them headed off to bed as well. When Sharee stepped into her room, she pulled out her cell phone and dialled. She waited for a couple of minutes.

‘Hello?’ Her sister answered.

‘Hey, Shauna.’

‘Sharee, what time is it where you are?’ Shauna asked.

‘Bedtime,’ Sharee said. ‘Come on! It’s ten in the morning for you.’

‘What is it then?’

‘Tomorrow is the Duellist Kingdom finals,’ Sharee said. ‘I’d like you to hack into Pegasus’s mainframe. If I’m right, Pegasus will be watching the whole thing. You know what mom’s like. This way you guys can watch.’

Shauna nodded. ‘I’ll call dad and make sure he has a lift for you guys outta there come tournament’s end.’

‘Thanks. And one more thing. Call Shadi or, if you can’t get him, try Ishizu. Tell him the keeper of the Millennium Eye is stealing souls like tomb robbers stole gold and now is trying to acquire the Puzzle, the Ring and the Bandanna. See if he knows why.’

‘Can do.’

‘Great. See you.’

They both hung up. Sharee headed over, kicked off her shoes and laid back on the bed with her hands folded behind her head. She dozed. Sharee never had been capable of real sleep when something was going on. So she easily roused herself when someone knocked on her door.

‘Come in,’ she called. Opening her eyes, she was mildly surprised to see it was Tristan, Téa and Bakura coming in. She sat up. ‘What’s up?’

‘Tristan thinks Pegasus cheats in all his duels,’ Bakura said.

‘He wants to expose it now,’ Téa added.

Tristan nodded and immediately launched into his explanation. ‘Kaiba’s one of the world’s top duellists but Pegasus beat him like he was an amateur. No one can beat Kaiba that easily, at least not playing fair and square. Way he was duelling, it seemed like he knew what cards were in Kaiba’s hand the entire time. I’m telling you, Pegasus is as bogus as a three dollar bill.’

‘And so now you want to find how he cheats and expose him?’ Sharee asked, her eyes narrowing.

‘Of course,’ Tristan said. ‘If we don’t, either Yugi or Joey are next.’

Sharee frowned and laid back. ‘The truth is there’s nothing to work out. I know precisely how Pegasus cheats and I said as much: the Millennium Eye.’

‘You mean that fake eye he’s got?’ Téa asked. ‘How would that help him cheat?’

‘There are seven Millennium Items, not including my Bandanna,’ Sharee said. ‘Yugi’s Puzzle overrides everything. The Ring looks into the soul. The Scales look into the heart. The Necklace looks into the future. All the rest of them look into the Mind. In the case of the Eye, it actually allows him to read a person’s mind. That’s how Pegasus wins. First he reads the minds of his opponents so he knows every card in their deck and is able to build a perfect counter-deck. Then, as they’re duelling, he reads their every thought and strategy.’

‘So he’s psychic?’ Téa asked.

‘Not a real one,’ Sharee said. ‘Without the Eye, he’s got nothing. But taking it away could kill him and I ain’t no murderer or I’d have grabbed it by now.’ Actually it was more that it was meant for him and if she took it, it would upset the cosmic balance.

Tristan frowned. ‘I once spoke to a psychic. The lady said I’d have a nice girlfriend within six months. It’s been a year, not a single date. I don’t believe in psychic powers.’

Sharee snorted in amusement. ‘You do realise people who advertise being psychic never actually are, right?’

Tristan shrugged. ‘Either way, Pegasus is a no good cheat and we have to prove it. There has to be some clue down at the duelling platform.’

‘With all the guards everywhere, we’ll need help from Yugi and Joey,’ Bakura pointed out.

‘No,’ Tristan told him. ‘Let them sleep. They need to rest up for the tournament tomorrow. Besides, a herd of elephants won’t wake Joey. It’s up to us.’

‘I’m with you!’ Téa nodded.

Sharee didn’t get up, though. She just rolled over. ‘Let me say this. If you’re still around tomorrow, I’ll relish saying “I told you so”.’

***

Yugi was woken by the sound of his grandfather’s voice. ‘Yugi! Yugi!’ He sat bolt up in his temporary bed.

‘Grandpa! Is that you?’

‘Yugi, I must speak with you!’

Yugi looked around. ‘Grandpa? Where are you?’

‘Follow my voice.’

Yugi leapt out of bed, only stopping to pull on his runners and Millennium Puzzle. He shot out of the room. ‘Grandpa!’

‘Yugi! Beware of Pegasus! You must stop him or he could destroy the entire world!’

‘Pegasus?’ Yugi ran in the direction his grandfather’s voice came from.

‘Yugi!’

‘I’m coming, grandpa!’ He ran through the corridors until he came outside, following the sound of his grandfather’s voice. ‘Grandpa, where are you? I can’t find you!’

‘Yugi!’ This time the voice came from below. ‘Beware of Pegasus!’

Yugi looked down. His grandfather’s soul card was at his feet.

‘Pegasus wields shadow powers of incredible strength,’ his grandpa said. ‘Much stronger than anyone could have imagined.’

Yugi dropped down to his knee and picked up the card. ‘But how? How is that possible? Grandpa, tell me how can Pegasus’s shadow magic still be growing in power?’

‘Every soul he traps in the Shadow Realm increases his strength,’ his grandpa said.

Yugi punched the ground in frustration. ‘He’s got to be stopped!’

The card flew out of Yugi’s hand and across, attaching itself to one of three obelisks on a hill. Yugi jumped to his feet and ran towards them. He froze when he saw who else was there, one on each. ‘No! Kaiba! Grandpa! Mokuba! This is wrong! This is terrible!’

‘Save me, Yugi!’ Kaiba called.

‘Save me, Yugi!’ Mokuba echoed.

Yugi stared with wide eyes.

‘You’re next, Yugi,’ Kaiba told him.

‘He wants you, Yugi!’ Mokuba cried.

‘Why is…Pegasus…after me?’ Yugi had trouble getting around to ask the question.

‘Pegasus unlocks tremendous magic with his single Millennium Item,’ his grandpa said. ‘How much power do you think he will wield if he has your Puzzle?’

Yugi gasped. Pegasus wanted his Millennium Puzzle for the power? But Sharee had the Millennium Bandanna. Did that mean that…? ‘So is Sharee in danger from him too? Is that why he invited her here?’

‘Yes,’ his grandfather said. ‘But she was aware of it from the first moment.’

And she still put herself in the line of fire.

‘Grandpa, how can I stop Pegasus?’ Yugi asked.

‘Just as Pegasus learned to harness the power of his Millennium Eye, you must also learn to control the power of your own Millennium Item,’ his grandpa responded.

‘My Puzzle?’ Yugi asked.

‘Yes, Yugi,’ his grandpa said. ‘Your Millennium Puzzle.’

‘But how?’

‘That, you must discover on your own. Whatever it takes, Pegasus must be defeated. If he wins, with his unlimited shadow powers and the magic of the Millennium Items, he can release Armageddon upon the entire world!’ Suddenly blue flames engulfed the obelisks.

Yugi flinched back. ‘Grandpa!’

‘You can do this, Yugi!’ his grandpa called. ‘I believe in you!’ The flames continued to climb higher. ‘Yugi!’

‘Grandpa!’ Yugi called.

‘Unlock the secret of the Millennium Puzzle!’ his grandpa called. ‘Only then can you defeat Pegasus!’

‘Yugi!’ Kaiba called.

‘Yugi!’ Mokuba echoed.

‘The Millennium Puzzle, Yugi!’ his grandpa called as the fire engulfed the obelisks.

‘Grandpa!’ Yugi bolted and found himself sitting up in bed again. He panted for breath. He looked around. ‘It was all just a dream…’ He slumped back. ‘…or was it?’ There was a light knock on the door. Yugi sat up again. ‘Who is it?’ He’d swung his legs off the bed when the door opened and Sharee stepped in.

‘I knew you were awake,’ she said. ‘There’s unrest in your heart.’

Yugi blinked. ‘You can tell that?’

Sharee shrugged and walked over to the couch, sitting down. ‘Not me, but Shamee can.’

‘The spirit in your Millennium Bandanna?’ Yugi asked. Sharee nodded. Yugi sat on the end of his bed. ‘You know that that’s what Pegasus wants with us?’

Sharee nodded gravely. ‘Since I received that invitation. There’s just one thing he’s not counting on. If he knew about the spirits, he wouldn’t be so confident. How he’s missed them is beyond me. When they take control of our bodies, we get taller and our voices change to theirs. We’re the children and they’re the adults.’

‘But…’ Yugi frowned. ‘The spirit of the Puzzle was willing to do anything to beat Kaiba. Even risk killing him.’

Sharee nodded. ‘Yugi, you lost that duel because you had to lose one sometime. You and Yami weren’t in harmony. Never have been. You have to understand Yami and he has to understand you. Sharing bodies makes the spirits very protective over us so if Pegasus did get our souls, he would have two very angry and powerful ancient spirits to contend with.’

‘Ancient?’ Yugi asked. ‘How ancient are they?’

‘By my reckoning, they lived five thousand years ago in Egypt,’ Sharee said. ‘I’ve been with Shamee for two years so we’ve had time to come to a common ground. You’re going to have to do it fast if you want to beat Pegasus.’ She chuckled. ‘Easier said than done, I know. Five thousands years and three continents separate you. Some of what these spirits would find acceptable, we would find unacceptable.’

Yugi blinked. ‘Like what?’

Share smiled cheekily. ‘Like the fact that ancient Egyptian Pharaohs were polygamous.’

Yugi stared at her, trying to see if she was serious. The smile didn’t leave her face. He leaned back. ‘Polygamous? You mean that they had more than one wife?’

‘Oh, yes.’ Sharee scratched her neck casually. ‘Some even had lovers and concubines but that was perfectly acceptable to the spirits in our heads. That was the way things were done.’ She frowned, looking sympathetic. ‘Because the Ancient Egyptians believed their Pharaohs were living embodiments of the Gods.’


	29. Duel Identity Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi vs. Mai.

Yugi was standing in his room, staring out the window. Sharee had gone into her own room early that morning. She wanted to do something while Pegasus was distracted with the duels. If he knew her, it was probably to get one of the Kaiba brothers away from him.

But Yugi had other things on his mind. Morning. _And I barely slept a wink. I sure hope I’m doing the right thing in deciding to duel again, but with grandpa’s soul at stake I have to._ He turned to the Millennium Puzzle and put it on. _Grandpa and Sharee told me to trust the ancient presence within the Millennium Puzzle but how can I? He looked at the Puzzle. It was willing to do anything to beat Kaiba. Anything!_

There was a knock on his door and then Joey opened it. Their friends, except Sharee, were right behind him.

‘Hey!’ Joey called.

‘Hey, Yugi,’ Téa said.

‘What’s up, Téa?’ Yugi asked as they came in. ‘How you doing, guys?’

‘Aren’t you ready yet?’ Téa asked. ‘You’re gonna be late.’

‘And if you’re late, they’ll disqualify you right out of the tournament,’ Joey said.

Yugi nodded and allowed Yami to take control of his body, but not completely. He couldn’t relinquish control to him entirely. What was interesting was that Yami pulled on his jacket as a cape. Interesting… _A throwback from his former life?_ Sharee had told him Shamee had a few of those.

***

Sharee slipped along the catacombs that made up the castle’s dungeon. In her hand, she had her cell phone with blueprints displayed on the screen. This would ordinarily be simple but, then again, she was dealing with Pegasus. That was why she’d made the plan in her corridor of the mind and been brief when mentioning it to the outside world.  
If he was forewarned, he didn’t know exactly how she was going to do it.

Snag one: the Kaiba brothers no longer had their souls. That meant their heart signatures were not in this dimension. So she’d pulled out the big guns, using her sister’s adjustment to the cell phone. Just by plugging the cell into an outlet within the castle, she could get a map of the place.

_Didn’t see that one coming, did you, Pegasus?_

_**No, I don’t think he did.** _

Sharee looked down at her phone again but heard something and quickly swung up into the rafters of the ceiling. One of the goons walked past and around the corner. A brief conversation followed and Sharee knew that was where Mokuba was, especially with the “pet prisoner” comment.

When the other goon left, Sharee hopped down. She slipped around the corner and paused. It looked like a dead end. But Sharee had been around enough to know where the mechanism for the secret passage was. She walked forward, then leaned over and grabbed the head of the statue at the end of the hallway. Giving it a tug, it slid down and a doorway opened to her right.

‘Yup. That’s what I thought.’ Moving quietly, Sharee slipped down the stairs. The guard was sitting there, twiddling his thumbs.

The goon sighed. ‘Man, this is like the most boring detail ever! What a waste of time. Without his soul, it’s not like he’s going anywhere.’

 _ **Wanna bet?**_ Shamee was almost smirking inside Sharee’s head.

Following her thought path, Sharee shot forward and clubbed the guard. He didn’t even have time to make a noise. He just went flying into the wall and slid to the ground, unconscious.

Sharee laughed to herself. ‘When you’ve gone and done something like this, don’t drop your guard, boy-o!’ She looked into the cell and smiled. ‘Yup.’

Mokuba’s body was sitting there, against the wall with the legs hugged to the chest. He wasn’t chained up though. That would be because, without a soul, he wasn’t capable of getting up and escaping. Sharee pulled the cell key from goon’s belt and walked over to the lock. A glance down and she cursed under her breath.

_One of these!_

_**What?**_ Shamee asked.

Sharee sighed. _A monitored lock. The second I put the key in, it’ll register on their computers. That means I have to get in and get him out fast._

_**Then you’d better do just that.** _

Sharee moved with a dexterity that had been trained into her since childhood. In one movement, she had the door unlocked and in the next it was open. Without pausing, she dropped the key and shot into the cell. Swinging Mokuba up onto her back, she shot out again. _I’ve got a say in this, Pegasus, and the word is no!_ She hoped he heard that.

Sharee jumped up to the ceiling rafters as soon as the got to the corridor. If she was going to move now, this was how. She had the kid and she needed to move where they couldn’t see her.

Sharee’s phone started ringing. ‘Of all the…’ She cursed before answering it. ‘Shauna, talk!’ Sharee ground her teeth at what she was told. ‘He does realise that the Millennium Items cannot control life and death, right?’ A pause. ‘Well, isn’t that the cat’s ass?’ She glanced down. ‘Okay, is Ishizu heading to tell Shadi? Good. I’ll catch you soon. I’ve got company.’ Sharee hung up.

_**Well, that explains a few things.** _

_What?_ Sharee frowned as she watched the guards run beneath her.

_**Pegasus. His heart showed me the contrary of what his actions did. I can now understand it. Doesn’t make it any more right, but I finally understand his conflicting actions and heart emotions.** _

Sharee nodded. With motivations like that, she could imagine what was going on in that heart of his and he had been acting like he never had a heart at all. It figured that Shamee had been confused about what her powers were picking up.

Sharee’s thoughts were torn from that path as she saw Bakura running beneath her. What…? What was he doing here? Shouldn’t he have been in the upper gallery watching Yami duel Mai?

‘Hey!’ someone called after him.

Bakura stopped and turned around. A group of guards ran at him. Sharee was about to jump down and help him. With Mokuba on her back, she knew it would be hard but she also had an idea on how to do it.

But Bakura held up a card. Sharee watched the Man-Eater Bug appear, although transparent, and attack the guards. _Wait a minute. Bakura’s not capable of that._

_**No, he certainly is not.** _

There was no longer a trace of the guards left. Bakura ran off and Sharee jumped down. She looked at the kid on her back and turned her head. A moment of starting down the tunnels then she looked back at Mokuba.

‘The Evil Spirit’s in control.’

_**Yes, it is.** _

‘And he followed me down here.’ Sharee’s eyes widened. ‘He wants a vessel without a mind or soul of its own.’ She glanced at the kid on her back. ‘He wants Mokuba.’

_**Run.** _


	30. Duel Identity Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharee removes Mokuba's body from Pegasus's grip.

‘Hey, she’s got Mokuba!’

 _Oh, not this shit!_ Sharee spun around, grabbing the sword from a suit of armour she passed. There were six of them. They dived at her. Sharee ducked out of the way, swinging Mokuba around until he was slung over her shoulder. Another goon tried to grab her from the side. She slammed the handle of the weapon into his gut, knocking him to the ground.

‘You’ve got more to worry about than me breaking a pre-teen heir out of your grip, boys,’ Sharee snapped, swinging the sword and slicing through flesh. The three behind her cried out in pain.

But she’d been careful not to severe any limbs.

Sharee ran at the next one and drove her knee up into his gut. Five down. The last one, she slammed the handle of the sword into his neck. He went down too, the last of them. Sharee dropped the sword and ran.

Surprisingly, she got up to her room without further interruption. Dropping Mokuba on the bed, she shot over and grabbed a slip of paper. Pulling a pen from her bag, she wrote a quick note, barely remembering to write in Japanese.

__

_Sorry about the sealed door. Didn’t want Pegasus’s goons to grab you again before Yugi got your soul back. I’ll come and unlock it soon and then we’ll look for your brother. He’ll be around here too._

That done, she set it where he’d find it and stepped out of the room. She was only mildly surprised to see Bakura there. He looked like himself but Sharee knew better. That evil spirit was a very good actor. She practically saw Shamee shake her head.

‘Sharee, I thought you’d be in the upper gallery watching the duel,’ Bakura said.

‘Overslept,’ Sharee said. ‘I could say the same to you.’

Bakura didn’t answer. As they’d been speaking, Shamee had been sealing the door. Now nothing short of Millennium power could open it. The door warmed behind her. Sharee chuckled and took his arm, leading him to the duelling stadium. ‘We better both go. We don’t wanna miss the whole thing.’

Bakura followed her, not that he had much choice. The Evil Spirit didn’t want her to know what she already did. When they arrived at the upper gallery, they found Tristan, Téa and Joey already there.

Sharee noticed Pegasus looking at her darkly. She smiled. _And how exactly were you going to explain your actions to your wife?_ The look of shock on his face was quite refreshing.

‘Where were you?’ Joey asked her.

Sharee smiled. ‘I overslept.’

‘That doesn’t surprise me,’ Téa said. ‘You hardly slept at all at the campsite.’

Sharee nodded once and shifted. Shamee looked down at the duel.

***

Yami looked across the duel at Mai.

With a laugh, Mai said, ‘Even under Brain Control, Harpy’s Pet Dragon won’t attack her master.’

‘I know that, Mai,’ Yami said. ‘But I don’t intend to attack your Harpy.’

‘Huh?’ Mai looked confused.

Yami laid a card down. ‘First I play this card face down and add Catapult Turtle.’ The Turtle appeared on the field. ‘Now let’s put Harpy’s Pet Dragon on the Catapult in attack mode.’ Just that happened, as did the next thing he said. ‘Because I’ve called an attack, your Mirror Wall appears and I’m going to knock it down with your own Dragon.’  
Mai tensed.

‘Catapult Launch!’ Yami commanded and the Dragon was launched at the Wall, destroying both. Above all of his friends cheered.

‘He shattered my Mirror Wall to pieces,’ Mai said.

Yami smiled knowingly. ‘And that’s not all I’ve done, Mai. My attack has done more than to destroy the defence you built. Because it was your monster I fired from Catapult Turtle, half of the Pet Dragon’s attack points get deducted from your life points. The tide of this battle is turning, Mai.’

Mai’s life points dropped down to 850.

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘Way to go! Now you’re socking it to her, Yugi!’

_You wanted my best, Mai? Well, you’re about to get your wish. If I can trust the spirit of my Millennium Puzzle, if we can really work together, then nothing can stop us!_

‘It’s my turn.’ Mai drew.

Yami could see Mai trying to decide whether or not to attack him. He’d done this before. He let all of his cock-sure confidence leak into his eyes. He knew he was practically goading her, egging her. _**Bring on your assault, Mai!**_ And he knew that if she did, he’d be finished.

‘Now I will…’ She paused. ‘…not attack.’ She smiled. ‘I’m not falling into your trap and there are other moves that I can make.’ She took the card from her hand. ‘For example.’ She laid the card down. ‘I can use this card to triple my Harpy attack force. I play Elegant Egotist.’ The Harpy Lady tripled into the three Harpy Ladies. ‘Not bad, huh? That ends my turn, Yugi, but next turn you’ll get a taste of my Ladies’ claws and I promise you won’t enjoy it.’ She laughed.

Worked like well-done magic spell. Yami smirked. ‘That’s too bad, Mai. You really should have attacked me.’

Mai scowled. ‘Well, that’s your opinion!’

‘No, it’s fact,’ Yami said. ‘If you had called an attack, then you would have won.’

Mai’s eyes widened. ‘But your trap card…’

‘It’s not a trap, Mai.’ Yami picked up the card and showed it to her. ‘It’s a Monster Recovery card.’

Mai gasped.

‘You fell for my bluff,’ Yami said. ‘It’s a whole new duel now, Mai. For this turn I’ll activate the Monster Recovery card.’ The Catapult Turtle vanished. ‘Pull all my monsters back into my deck, reshuffle and now I can draw five new cards.’ But he was nearly out of luck.

Yugi was quick to realise the problem. _Oh, no! Not one of these cards is strong enough to bring down Mai’s Harpies._

‘Each of my three Harpy Ladies now has an attack power of 2450,’ Mai said, smirking as she read his expression. ‘There are only a handful of monsters in all of Duel Monsters that can stand against that and from the look on your face, you haven’t drawn one of them.’

‘Yugi!’ Téa called. ‘Don’t let up! Keep fighting!’

_Without a monster on the field, Mai’s free to attack my life points directly. I’ll never survive against her._

_**Look again.** _

_Oh, I see. Unless…_

‘This card!’ Yami threw it down. ‘In defensive mode!’

Mai smirked. ‘But you can’t. Shadow of Eyes. It lures all monsters into attack mode, remember?’

‘All monsters?’ Yami asked with a smirk. ‘No, Mai. And that’s what’ll save my life points this turn.’ He turned the card in question over and the monster appeared on the field. ‘Mystical Elf! Shadow of Eyes may lure men into battle but it doesn’t work on female monsters.’

‘No!’ Mai cried. ‘I forgot about that!’

‘You’ll have to attack it instead of me,’ Yami said.

‘Okay, so let’s see where we stand,’ Mai said. ‘You’re on the board with one measly Elf and it’s my turn. First I’ll use this Monster Reborn card to bring back an old friend.’ She laid the card down.

_Monster Reborn?_

The monster he was thinking of appeared on the field. ‘Remember Harpy’s Pet Dragon? He’s back. And he gets three hundred more attack points for each Harpy on the field.’

‘Oh, no!’ Yami cried. ‘He now has 2900 attack points!’

‘And every single point aimed right at you,’ Mai said. ‘Harpy Ladies, combine your power. Exterminator Attack!’ The blast shot across the field and destroyed the Mystical Elf.

‘She wiped out his last defence!’ Téa cried.

‘Your times run out, Yugi,’ Mai called. ‘On my next turn, I eliminate the remainder of your life points. And then…looks like I go onto the finals.’ She closed her eyes confidently.

_No! There must be something I can do, but I need more time! The next card I draw is going to decide the fate of so many lives! But what happens if I draw the wrong card? What happens to grandpa? To Joey and his sister? And to Kaiba and Mokuba? I can’t do this! ___

___**We can do this. Together. Just trust me and trust in the Heart of the Cards.** _ _ _

__‘Come on now,’ Mai said. ‘We both know that I’ll wipe out whatever card you play on my next turn.’_ _

__Yami drew. Perfect. ‘Swords of Revealing Light!’ They appeared on the field, freezing the Harpies and the Dragons._ _

__‘Swords of Revealing Light?’ Mai demanded._ _

__Their friends cheered from the upper gallery._ _

__Mai composed herself and shook her head. ‘Decided to go down fighting, huh? Well, all right. A surrender would be easier but if you’re really determined to go out in a blaze of glory, I’ll be only too happy to light the fire.’ She spread her hands to emphasise her point._ _

__‘No, Mai,’ Yami said. ‘What I intend to do is go out in a blaze of victory.’_ _

___Harpy’s Pet Dragon is the most powerful monster she’s got. Unless we can defeat it, there’s no way to win._ _ _

___**We can defeat it, but only at great risk. It involved the Black Lustre Ritual. And three turns might not be enough.** _ _ _

___Black Lustre Ritual? What’s that?_ _ _

__Yami mentally turned his head. _ **If I can draw the correct cards, you’ll see soon enough.**__ _

__‘My only move for this turn, I play Kuriboh.’ Yami laid the card down and it appeared on the field._ _

__‘Oh,’ Mai said. ‘It’s the attack of the giant three-toed hairball.’ She started laughing. ‘Look, it’s totally ferocious, Yugi. I think it wants to attack Harpy’s Pet Dragon single-handed!’  
Yami said nothing._ _

__Mai stopped laughing. ‘What? You don’t think that’s funny, Yugi?’_ _

__‘It’s not, Mai,’ Yami said. ‘Laugh all you want, but don’t mistake the Kuriboh for a joke when it’s an important step on my way to victory in this duel.’_ _

__Mai smiled, almost in exasperation. ‘That hairball couldn’t be an important step on the way to anything, except maybe choking a cat. Anyway, I can’t attack as long as Swords of Revealing Light is still in play so…’ She reached down. ‘…I draw this one card and that will end my turn.’ She looked back at him. ‘But soon, you’re gonna be history.’_ _

___**That Kuriboh was a good start but, with just the cards I’ve got in my hand now, I can’t initiate the Black Lustre Ritual. I still need one more card.**_ Yami drew. _**But this isn’t the card I need. Either way, he would have to put another card down for this. ‘This card worked for you.’ He threw it down. ‘Monster Reborn! I use Monster Reborn to bring back Gaia, the Fierce Knight!’**__ _

__‘Oh, Fierce Knight Schmersh Knight.’ Mai smirked and waved her finger. ‘I guess he’s an improvement over that little Kuriboh, but he hardly represents a threat to my Harpies and their supercharged pet.’ She drew. ‘Two turns to go.’_ _

__‘That’ll be enough, Mai.’ Yami drew. _ **Still not the right card.**__ _

__‘It’s my turn now.’ Mai drew. She smirked. ‘My turn is over, as are the effects of your Swords of Revealing Light.’ The Swords vanished. ‘Didn’t get much help out of your three free turns, did you, Yugi?’_ _

__Yami looked down at his deck. _ **One card. It all comes down to this.**_ He reached for the deck. His hand spasmed as his emotions overtook him. _**No! No. I…I don’t think I can do this.**_ It was suddenly like he was standing in front of a large door that held unbridled power on the other side. Just whether or not the power would heal everything or destroy it was the question. _**Yugi was right. There’s too much riding on the draw of a single card. Who am I to gamble with the lives of Yugi’s friends? His family? And what would happen, if I should fail? There’s too much riding on the draw of this next card. I shouldn’t be risking Yugi’s friends and family this way. It’s too dangerous. I can’t.**_ He closed his eyes._ _

___We can do it. Together._ Yugi’s hand laid over his and Yami opened his eyes, looking down at the boy. _**Yugi?**__ _

___I’m with you and we’re not alone._ As Yugi was speaking, the others appeared around them. Joey and Tea, Tristan and Bakura, Sharee and Shamee. _We have the support of all my friends. Just like I’ve had from the beginning.__ _

__Yami smiled in acceptance. _ **With all of you at my side, I was foolish to lose faith.**__ _

___It’s like you said, you and I have to trust in each other and in the heart of the cards. Once we put our hearts in the game, there’s nothing we can’t do!_ _ _

__They opened the door and invoked the power within, drawing the necessary card. ‘Well, Mai. You’ve put up a good fight…’ he smirked. ‘…but now the duel ends.’ He turned the card around. ‘Starting with this card. Black Lustre Ritual!’_ _

__‘What?’ Mai demanded._ _

__Yami played it and the pots and gateway appeared on the field. ‘Watch. The Black Lustre Ritual works by sacrificing all of the monsters I have placed on the field.’ Kuriboh and Gaia were sucked into the pots and the energy shot up and twisted together. ‘Combining the energies of my two separate monsters and the forces of light and darkness intertwine, opening the Gates of Chaos…’ The plate rose up and the beast burst out of it. ‘Bringing forth…’_ _

__‘Oh, no!’ Mai cried._ _

__‘…the Black Lustre Soldier!’_ _

__‘Is that really the legendary Black Lustre Soldier?’_ _

__Yami called out the command. ‘Now, Black Lustre Soldier, Chaos Blade attack!’ The Soldier attacked and the Harpies jumped out of the way but the Pet Dragon was cut in half and destroyed. ‘Harpy’s Pet Dragon is vanquished!’_ _

__‘Just like that,’ Mai murmured as her life points dropped to 750. ‘My most powerful monster…it’s gone!’ When the light faded, Mai leaned forward on her duelling platform. For a few moments, she stayed like that. Then she leaned up and gave Yami a surprise. She laid her hand over her deck, a sign of conceding defeat._ _

__‘Huh?’ Yami murmured. ‘Mai? So does this mean that you surrender?’_ _

__‘I’d rather not see my Harpy Ladies destroyed in the next turn,’ Mai said. ‘The duel is yours, Yugi.’ She wrapped her hand around her deck, turned and started to walk out._ _

__Yami could see she was upset and, it seemed, Yugi was rubbing off on him. ‘Wait, Mai. There’s something I want to say to you.’_ _

__Mai stopped. ‘Huh?’_ _

__‘Thank you,’ Yami said. ‘You said a duellist can learn more from defeat than victory and you were correct. But, you, Mai, you taught me a lot today. I have to confront my own fears, my weaknesses, or I could never have defeated you.’_ _

__‘It’s awfully nice of you to say that, Yugi, but it seems to me I also still have a lot more to learn,’ Mai said. ‘About duelling and about myself. But then I suppose no duellist ever learns all there is to know. And maybe the most important lesson is that defeat doesn’t have to be forever. You won this duel, Yugi, but there’ll be others. You are I will meet in the area again, kiddo.’ She turned to look at him. ‘And when we do, you better watch out.’_ _

__Yami smiled and gave her a thumb’s up. Mai returned the gesture with a wink._ _


	31. Keith's Machination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey Wheeler vs. Bandit Keith.

Shamee watched Mai leave the arena and listened to Croquet. ‘The first match of these play-offs has come to a close.’ A hologram appeared over the arena, displaying the matches. ‘Yugi Moto has emerged victorious over Mai Valentine.’ Mai’s picture was dimmed as to signify her loss. ‘He will advance to the next round.’

Beside her, the rest of them cheered. Sharee watched Yami transform back into Yugi. So Shamee stepped back, allowing Sharee to reclaim control of her own body. Time to take a nap.

***

Sharee was surprised when Joey’s card went missing. She watched him run off and then turned her attention to Keith, lounging across the couch. He looked up and across at Croquet.

‘Hey, would you guys mind if I took off my boots?’ he asked.

Sharee’s eyes narrowed. He had something to do with it.

‘Do as you wish,’ Croquet said. ‘But if you’re not in the duelling area at the designated time, you’ll be disqualified too.’

‘Say what?’ Keith sat up. ‘Man, you suits and your rules!’

***

Joey dropped to his knees. He couldn’t find it. He just couldn’t find the stupid thing. _I can’t believe it. After lasting on this island all this time, after beating duellists with twice my experience, after getting past all of Pegasus’s traps, I’m gonna get disqualified from this tournament cause of this?_ He slammed his fist down. _For losing one lousy card!_ His anger slowly faded away. _Sorry, sis. I came close. I came real close._ With the belief that he was alone, he began to cry.

‘Get up off the floor, Joey!’

Startled, Joey looked up. Mai was standing there.

‘And quit all your crying already,’ Mai told him. ‘You look like a big baby!’

Joey turned his head away and tried to get rid of the tears. ‘Who’s crying? I got something in my eye. Stupid thing won’t come out.’

Suddenly, Mai was handing him something that was wrapped in a handkerchief. ‘Here. Just don’t go blowing your nose in it.’ Joey took it and Mai turned away. ‘You know, every time I think I’ve got you figured, you surprise me, Joey.’

‘Huh?’ Joey asked.

‘Téa told me about your little sister,’ Mai said. ‘How you’re duelling to win the tournament’s prize money for her, so she can have that operation. Sounded like a bad soap opera, to be honest. But then who doesn’t love a bad soap opera? Anyway, see you around, hun.’ She walked down the hallway.

Joey stood and unwrapped the hanky. Inside was Mai’s Glory of the King’s Hand card. He ran after her. ‘Wait, Mai!’

‘Take it,’ she told him, stopping. ‘I don’t need it anymore.’

‘So does this mean that we’re finally friends, Mai?’ Joey asked.

‘Don’t you have a duel to run off to?’

‘Yeah, you’re right!’ Joey went to go but she stopped him.

‘One thing, though.’

‘What?’

Mai turned. ‘Take him down.’

‘Right.’ Joey grinned and ran off. He never saw Mai smile and never heard her say, ‘Dork. Of course we’re friends.’

Joey ran right to the room and pulled open the doors.

‘It’s Joey!’ Téa called from the upper gallery. All of his friends called down, ‘He made it!’

Keith straightened up from where he’d been slouching over his duelling platform. He smirked. ‘So, punk’s come back to give us the bad news, huh? Let me guess. You couldn’t find that card anywhere?’ He chuckled confidently.

Joey held it up. ‘What are you talking about? I got it right here.’

‘Very well, then,’ Croquet said. ‘The duel will proceed as scheduled.’

Joey looked forward. ‘All right, Keith. Nap time is over. Time to duel.’

‘Fine,’ Keith said. ‘You know, a part of me wanted you to show up. A nice little warm-up match might do me some good.’

‘I’ll warm you up and wear you out,’ Joey said.

Keith glared at him. ‘Just you try it!’

‘The second match of these play-offs will now commence,’ Croquet said. ‘Joey Wheeler, Bandit Keith, prepare to duel.’

On the upper gallery, Joey’s friends cheered him on.

‘Joey Wheeler,’ Croquet said. ‘Bandit Keith. Your peers and gracious host await your bout. So let this duel commence.’

Both of them drew five cards. Keith chuckled. ‘So tell me how it feels to be an amateur going up against the intercontinental duelling champion.’

Joey smirked. ‘Oo! The Intercontinental Championship? I could win a better prize than that in a box of cereal.’

Keith frowned. ‘Punk. I’ll teach you to respect my title.’ He laid down a card. ‘One card face-down in defence mode.’

‘Just remember what you’re fighting for, Joey, and you can’t lose!’ Téa called.

‘Right!’ Tristan added. ‘Now take it to him, bud, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for!’

Joey smiled at them and then refocused on the duel. _Okay, then. It’s time to go to work. Serenity, this duel’s for you, sis._ ‘My turn. I’m throwing a monster card in defence mode too.’ He laid the card down.

‘Well, this ain’t gonna be a very exciting match if we’re both just playing defence all day.’ He picked up his defence. ‘So I think I’ll switch my card to attack mode.’ He laid it down and it appeared on the field. ‘Go, Pendulum Machine!’

‘A machine monster?’ Joey asked.

‘That’s right,’ Keith said. ‘And he’s about to go into overdrive on that defence card of yours.’ The Pendulum pulled Joey’s Battle Warrior out of hiding. ‘Slashing Blade Attack!’ He sliced him in half, destroying him.

***

‘Ouch!’ Tristan exclaimed. ‘That’s not good.’

Yugi stared down. ‘Well, it isn’t…bad.’

‘Huh?’ Tristan asked.

‘Yugi is right,’ Bakura exclaimed. ‘Now that Keith’s card is set in attack mode, Joey can see precisely how strong it is. Now all he has to do is play something stronger and he’ll be able to destroy it.’

 _Still, I wonder why Bandit Keith played a machine monster._ He was surprised to hear a mental voice from outside.

_Because his deck is loaded with them._

Yugi glanced over and noticed the eye on Sharee’s Millennium Bandanna was glowing dully. A glance down and he realised the eye on his Puzzle was too. It must’ve been some communication that she’d instigated.

Yugi remembered that Sharee had seen Keith’s defeat at Pegasus’s hands. She’d seen what cards he had in his deck. But he did have one question.

_How are we talking like this?_

Sharee shot him a grin. _The other Millennium Items can send telepathic communication to the Puzzle. That’s because it originally belonged to a Pharaoh and he wanted a way to wordlessly communicate with his court which consisted of six people, all of whom had Millennium Items._

So because he was wearing the Puzzle, it was easy for Sharee to contact him in this way. Sharee nodded at his deduction but then cut off the communications. The eyes on their Items lost the glow.

‘So are you gonna make your move or what?’ Keith demanded.

‘I sure am,’ Joey said. ‘And it’s a big one, all thanks to your lousy move.’ He laid a card down. ‘Giltia the Knight, mash that machine into scrap metal.’

‘Wow,’ Bakura murmured.

‘Giltia the Knight has a higher attack power than Keith’s monster!’ Téa cheered.

‘Soul Spear!’ Joey called. ‘Attack!’ Giltia sent the attack out but, to Joey’s surprise, the attack bounced right off. ‘What? My attack’s not working!’

‘Huh?’ Téa asked.

‘Great Scot!’ Bakura cried. ‘It’s not!’

‘Yug, that can’t be right, can it?’ Tristan asked.

Keith chuckled. ‘You bet it’s right. All of my machine monsters are protected by magic-resistant armour. So that makes all of your magic attacks worth squat!’

‘So that’s why!’ Yugi said, not wanting to have to explain the telepathic capabilities of the Millennium Puzzle. Pegasus probably already knew though but, if they were lucky, he hadn’t been paying attention to them when Sharee had used the link. ‘They’re magic-proof and not just against magical-type monsters, but that thing will stand against any card that uses magic.’

‘Man!’ Tristan complained. ‘Can’t we ever catch a break?’

‘My turn.’ Keith held up a card. ‘And I got another well-oiled machine all ready for you.’ He played it. ‘Launcher Spider!’ The beast appeared on the field.

‘More machines,’ Bakura said. ‘Just great!’

‘His whole deck is probably full of them!’ Téa insisted.

‘It is,’ Sharee grumbled.

‘Now, Spider,’ Keith said. ‘Shock Rocket attack!’ Missiles flew out of the spider and destroyed Giltia. ‘Come on, punk. Fight me back. It’s more fun when you struggle.’  
Joey’s life points dropped down to 1650.

‘They’re tough, true,’ Bakura remarked. ‘Still, no machine is without its glitch.’

‘So what’s their glitch, Yugi?’ Téa asked.

Yugi sighed. ‘I’m not sure. Machine monsters are some of the most powerful monsters in the duelling world. Not only are they impervious to magic attacks but they have an amazingly strong offence as well.’

‘But, Yugi,’ Sharee said, ‘they can only use that offence against head-on attacks.’

Yugi nodded. ‘Maybe if Joey plays his cards right, he can use that to his advantage.’

They watched Joey draw and then set two cards down. ‘I’ll play this face down and this monster card in defence mode.’

Keith smirked. ‘What’s the matter, dweeb? Afraid to fight like a man?’

Joey growled.

Keith’s smirk widened. ‘I’ll lay a card face down too. And this in defence.’ He accidentally dropped the defence card. ‘Whoop.’ It appeared on the field but only for a second and Yugi saw it wasn’t a machine monster. ‘My mistake. Just forget what you saw.’ Keith laid it down again but properly. ‘Anyhow, as I was saying I’ll play this card in defence mode.’

‘Whatever that was, it sure looked ugly,’ Téa said.

‘But not metal,’ Tristan remarked.

Yugi smelt a trap. Was Keith trying to draw Joey into a trap? If so, it worked.

‘Yeah!’ Tristan pumped his fist. ‘Check out Joey’s big grin! Something’s up.’

‘I don’t know,’ Yugi said.

‘Huh?’ Tristan asked. ‘Know what?’

Joey laid the card down. ‘Go, Flame Swordsman, in attack mode!’ The Swordsman appeared on the field.

Yugi explained. ‘The attack points of that Zoa card Keith dropped are higher than its defence.’

‘So what?’ Téa asked.

‘Oh!’ Bakura got it. ‘I see.’

‘And I’ll add this magic card too!’ Joey was on a role and not a good one.

Bakura finished the explanation. ‘If Zoa’s attack is more than his defence, it makes little sense to play him in defensive mode. Unless Keith is trying to lure Joey into attacking him.’  
‘Go, Salamandra!’ Joey played his card and the Flame Swordsman’s blade was surrounded by fire. ‘The magic raises by attack power by 700 points.’

‘So then Keith must’ve shown Zoa on purpose!’ Téa worked out the rest.

‘Joey, wait!’ Tristan called.

But he wasn’t listening. ‘Swordsman attack!’ And it did.

Keith chuckled. ‘I got you!’ He flipped his other down card up. ‘My trap activates.’

‘What?’ Joey demanded.

‘Go Magic Metal Force!’ Zoa appeared on the field and he was instantly encased in a metal shell, fitted perfectly to his form. ‘Now Zoa is Metal Zoa, four hundred attack and defence points stronger!’

‘Ah, no big thing,’ Joey said.

‘But that’s not all, blondie,’ Keith told him. ‘That new metal look he’s sporting deflects all magic attacks back to where they came from.’

‘My Swordsman!’ Joey cried.

‘That’s right,’ Keith crowed as the attack bounced off Metal Zoa and shot back at the Swordsman.

‘No!’ Joey cried. The Swordsman was destroyed by his own attack and Joey’s life points dropped to 1150.

Keith laughed. ‘You should’ve seen the look on your loser face, you dweeb! When your Swordsman’s own attack toasted him? It was priceless!’

This wasn’t good.

Keith drew. ‘And I’m just getting started.’

‘Say what?’ Joey demanded.

‘That’s right,’ Keith said. ‘Next on my list is that little defence card of yours.’ He held up his card. ‘But he won’t be defending much longer.’

‘A stop defence card?’ Joey demanded.

‘Let’s see what you’re hiding there.’

Joey’s monster appeared on the field.

‘Hm,’ Keith said. ‘An Axe Raider, huh? No problem. Not for my Metal Zoa anyway.’

‘Oh, no!’ Yugi cried. ‘Joey’s life points will be all gone if that Metal Zoa’s attack hits!’

‘Hang tough, bud!’ Tristan called.

‘Sayonara, sucker!’ Keith called to his monster. ‘Metal Zoa, attack the Axe Raider!’ The beast ran forward but, half-way there, disappeared.

***

Sharee craned her neck and grinned. Metal Zoa had fallen into a pit.

‘Of course,’ Yugi murmured.

‘Nice move!’ Tristan said.

‘Isn’t that…?’ Sharee began to ask.

‘All right!’ Joey held up the card. ‘You fell right in my trap, just like I planned.’

Keith leaned forward, incredulous. ‘No way! You set a trap for me?’

‘Perfect!’ Yugi leaned forward, grinning widely. ‘The Chasm of Spikes card! Now, not only is Metal Zoa destroyed but one quarter of his attack points will be deducted from Keith’s life points.’

Keith growled as his life points dropped to 1250.

‘Not bad, huh?’ Joey asked. ‘I only wish you could’ve seen the look on your face when that Metal Zoa got shish-kebabed. It was priceless.’

‘You tell him!’ Téa called. ‘It’s about time someone gave that Bandit Keith jerk a taste of his own medicine!’

‘That’s not the only way he’s turning the tables on Keith,’ Yugi said. ‘I think Joey may have finally found the glitch in those machine monsters. Rather than try and beat them in a direct assault, he’s letting his traps do all the work.’

Bakura nodded. ‘And now Keith’s only winning by one hundred life points.’

‘All right!’ Tristan cheered. ‘Go, Joe, go!’

‘My turn.’ Joey laid a card down. ‘First I’m laying this face down. Oh, and it’s a trap card so don’t bother attacking.’

Sharee snorted in amusement.

‘Wow,’ Tristan remarked. ‘Will you just look at him duel!’

‘Careful!’ Téa called down. ‘You haven’t won this duel yet, Joey.’

‘You amateur!’ Keith snapped. ‘That’s gotta be the lousiest bluff I’ve ever heard in my entire duelling career!’

Joey ignored him. ‘And next, I’m switching my Axe Raider back to defensive mode.’ The monster went down on his knee. ‘And throwing this in attack mode.’ The next one appeared on the field. ‘Go, Garussies! Now, chunk that Pendulum Machine! Attack with Battle Blade Strike!’ The monster ran forward and sliced the Pendulum Machine in half, destroying it and sending Keith’s life points down to 1200.

Sharee saw Keith curse Joey but she didn’t hear what he said.

‘Yeah, that’s right,’ Joey said. ‘Take a permanent vacation at the scrap yard, you hunk of junk!’

‘Now it’s my turn!’ Keith snapped. ‘Launcher Spider, demolish Garussies!’ The Spider attacked and seemed to destroy the monster. ‘Ha! I knew you didn’t have another trap card.’

‘Wrong again, Keith,’ Joey said. ‘You thought I was bluffing and now you’re gonna pay for it!’

‘What’s that?’ Keith demanded.

Garussies was still there and he had a chain wrapped all around the Spider. ‘Kunai with Chain, and once activated it raises my attack power 500 points. Attack Garussies! Battle Axe Crush!’ The monster sliced the Spider in half.

Keith’s life points dropped again. This time to 1100.

‘All right,’ Bakura said. ‘It’s still close, but Joey has just won himself a slight lead.’

‘I knew he’d make a comeback!’ Téa laughed in delight.

‘Way to go, Joey!’ Tristan called. ‘If you keep this up, you’ll be duelling Pegasus in no time!’

Sharee looked at him and smiled. _I wonder if they’re considering what the next match will be if Joey does win._

_**Probably not. That’ll cross their minds afterwards.** _

Keith suddenly drew their attention by slamming his fist down on the edge of his duelling board.

Joey smirked at him. ‘What’s wrong, Mr. Champ? Don’t tell me you’re losing your cool to an amateur like me?’

Then Keith smirked and started chuckling.

‘What the…?’ Joey asked. ‘What’s the big joke?’

‘The joke is on you, blondie,’ Keith said. ‘You’re already counting the tournament’s prize money and this duel ain’t even close to being over yet.’

‘Oh, yeah?’ Joey challenged him.

‘You think your traps will last you forever?’ Keith demanded. ‘You’re gonna run out sooner or later! And then, I’ll bring on my bigger machines and then really give our audience a show!’

Sharee had to resist the urge to leave over and call down to him “you know you shouldn’t broadcast your strategy, especially when it’s a losing one”.

‘You’re going down, you snivelling little wannabe,’ Keith said viciously. ‘Nobody beats Bandit Keith. Nobody!’

And suddenly Sharee was very worried about what Keith would do if he did lose.


	32. Keith's Machination Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to end this fight and determine the semi-finals.

Joey stared across the field at Keith. He really looked aggro. The phrase “sore loser” came to him.

From above, Tristan called to him. ‘Your sister’s counting on you! Make her proud!’

Joey smiled and gave him a thumbs up. ‘No prob.’

Suddenly Keith smirked almost dementedly. ‘Come on. Let’s get on with this match, you dweeb! I got enough machine monsters totally revved up and ready to steam-roll your life points!’ He chuckled. ‘Yeah, you ain’t nothing but a speed bump on my way to duel Pegasus. And that goes double for the dweeby friend of yours, Yugi!’

Joey smiled. ‘Yeah, right, Keith.’

‘What’d you say?’ Keith demanded.

‘I got news for you, pal,’ Joey said. ‘Even if you beat me, which you won’t, Yugi would cream you. And you know why, hotshot? Cause you’re a selfish sleaze-ball who’s only in this tournament for your own greedy reasons.’

‘Say what?’ Keith audibly growled.

‘People like you never win,’ Joey stated. ‘Sure, your tricks my get you a little ways…’ He drew. ‘…but only til people with good intentions show up. Like me, and like Yugi too.’

‘Oh, yeah?’ Keith demanded. ‘We’ll just see about that!’ He threw a card down. ‘One card face down and I’ll attack with this!’ His monster appeared on the field. ‘My Barrel Dragon is going to blast you and your good intentions to dust! See, with its triple attack laser discharge system it has three attacks, not just one. It can clear all your monsters from the field in just one turn.’

‘What?’ Joey asked. ‘Three attacks?’

Keith gestured with a thumbs down. ‘That’s right. You’re going down. So say adios to your two buddies on the field. Go, Proton Blast!’ The machine shot and destroyed both of Joey’s monsters.

‘Oh,’ Joey breathed as his life points dropped down to 850. ‘That thing totalled them both.’

‘That’s what a 2600 point attack will do for you,’ Keith said. ‘Face it, this is the end of the line for you. No monster you got is gonna be able to withstand this kinda fire power.’

‘Are you done yet, Keith?’ Joey asked. ‘Cause I already figured out how to you’re your little toy blaster.’ He laid his card down and the Time Wizard appeared on the field. ‘Meet the master of the past and future.’

‘All right!’ Téa cheered from above.

‘And I’m not done, Keith. I’m throwing this baby down too.’ Joey played the card. ‘Baby Dragon, that is.’ The Dragon appeared on the field. ‘Now you got two things to worry about, Keith. That Blaster of yours rusting up and this little guy growing up. Let’s do it. Go, Time Roulette!’

The Roulette began spinning. Joey was fully aware what could happen if the arrow landed on a skull, but that’d only happened once and only when he was losing faith. It was a part of the Heart of the Cards. If he believed, it would work. _Come on, Time Wizard. I really need for you to come through for me here!_

They watched the arrow spin and then slow.

‘Get there,’ Joey murmured. The arrow slowed and then stopped on a time machine. ‘All right! Yeah! Go, Time Wizard!’

‘Time Magic!’ the Time Wizard echoed as it worked its magic.

Joey watched in satisfaction as the two Dragons change. One of them rusting and the other growing.

‘Nice work, Joey!’ Yugi called. ‘The stage is set perfectly!’

Yes, it was. ‘Now, Thousand Dragon, Noxious Nostril Gust!’ The Thousand Dragon attacked and the Barrel Dragon was blown away. ‘Got him! That hunk of steel is history.’  
Keith chuckled. ‘But history repeats itself.’ He reached for his down card. ‘Especially when you’re taking on a deck that’s stacked with all kinds of different machine cards. Like this trap, for example.’

‘A trap card?’ Joey asked.

Keith flipped it up. ‘Say hello to my time-travelling Time Machine.’ It appeared on the field and activated. ‘My Time Machine can travel back in time one turn.’

Joey drew back. ‘This can’t be good.’

‘So I can retrieve the monster that you just destroyed.’ As Keith was speaking the Dragon was coming out of the Machine.

_It’s his Barrel Dragon again. It’s back. And it looks brand-spanking new._

Keith called his attack. ‘Go, Proton Blast!’ The Barrel Dragon attack and the Thousand Dragon was destroyed, bringing Joey’s life points down to 650.

‘He’s gone,’ Joey murmured. ‘My Dragon’s gone.’

Keith was just about gloating. ‘And he’s gonna stay gone too. That is, unless you have a Time Machine trap set up to bring him back. But then he’d be coming back a Baby Dragon then, wouldn’t he?

‘Huh? What are you talking about?’ Joey worked it out a moment after he asked. He heard Téa working it out above as well.

‘Punk!’ Keith gloated. ‘I knew you were gonna use that dweeby little Time Wizard to try and rust up my Dragon. You forget. I saw every card in your deck when you duelled Bonez.’

Joey gritted his teeth. ‘Duels are more than just about the cards you use.’

Keith pointed at him. ‘Yeah, they’re about backbone too. And judging from the look on your face when my Dragon came back through time I’d say you don’t even have one. Now make your move.’

Joey drew. ‘I’ll throw a monster in defence mode.’ He laid the card down. ‘And that’s it.’

‘That’s it is right!’ Keith crowed. ‘Cause my machines are gonna keep on coming.’ He laid his card down and another one appeared. ‘Go, Slot Machine! Attack mode. Now your turn, Dragon. Blast that defence card to Kingdom Come. Proton Blast.’

Joey’s defence was destroyed.

***

Sharee watched the duel.

‘Poor Joey,’ Téa said.

Tristan agreed. ‘He’s in a tough bind.’

‘Joey, believe in your cards!’ Yugi called down to him. ‘You need to trust them if you’re gonna beat that thing!’

Joey made his move. ‘I’m gonna lay one card face down and…’ Sharee thought she saw a glint in his eye. ‘…throw the Red Eyes Black Dragon in attack mode!’ The Red Eyes appeared and roared. ‘And that’ll do it for me.’

Keith was still smirking. ‘That Red Eyes Black Dragon maybe the best card you’ve got in your entire deck, dweeb, but he’s still no match for this kinda blasting power.’ He laughed. ‘Say bye-bye to your prized possession. Proton Blast attack!’ The Barrel Dragon shot.

Joey smirked. ‘Not so fast.’ He picked up his down card.

‘What’s that?’ Keith demanded.

‘It’s a little something called Copycat,’ Joey said. ‘It lets me copy one card that you’ve used. And I’m choosing to copy Magic Metal Force.’ His Dragon changed. ‘Now my Red Eyes Black Dragon is a Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon.’ His attack points went up to 2800. ‘And that makes him strong enough to withstand your attack.’

Sure enough, the attack hit and had no effect.

‘All right!’ Yugi exclaimed. ‘Now Keith’s Dragon is the one in trouble!’

Joey called out to his monster. ‘Red Eyes, counter attack! Flash Flare Blast!’ The attack hit and the Barrel Dragon was destroyed.

Keith’s life points dropped to 900.

‘How do you like that, Keith?’ Joey demanded. ‘Your triple-blast Dragon has been reduced to a pile of smoking metal debris!’

‘Check it out,’ Tristan said. ‘Since Keith’s Dragon is gone, Joey’s Metal Red Eyes is the toughest card on the block.’

‘Yeah, but don’t count Keith out yet,’ Yugi said. ‘There must be some reason he played that slot machine monster.’

Yes, there did.

‘I knew you were an amateur and now I’m gonna show you how come,’ Keith said.

‘Huh?’ Joey said overdramatically and then made a show of cleaning out his ear. ‘Amateur? Uh…didn’t I just go and blast your best monster to bits?’

Keith got aggro again. ‘That’s right! Keep talking, tough guy. I’m laying this card face down and I’m switching my Slot Machine monster to defensive mode.’ The Slot changed position.

Joey drew. ‘Bad move, chief. First I’ll lay this face down.’ He played the card. ‘And now my Red Eyes will attack. Flash Flare Blast!’ The Red Eyes shot the attack.

‘Man, you’re as predictable as you are brainless.’ Keith flipped his card up. ‘I’m playing the card I had face down. ‘Go, Seven Completed!’ One of the wheels spun like a real slot machine and settled on the number seven.

‘Huh?’ Téa asked. ‘How come that middle slot just switched to a seven?’

The attack hit but the Slot Machine withstood it.

‘He’s still there?’ Joey asked.

Keith chuckled. ‘That’s because my Seven Completed card raises my Slot’s defensive points. To three thousand to be exact. And that’s more than enough to deflect your Red Eyes Black Dragon’s strongest attack.’

‘And cause my attack is lower than its defence, I lose life points.’ They dropped to 450.

Tristan slammed his fist against the banister they were all looking over. ‘Man, this stinks.’

‘That Flash Flare Blast is the strongest attack Joey has too,’ Yugi said.

‘And you know what else I got?’ Keith asked. ‘Two more Seven Completed cards in my deck that’s able to power up my Slot’s defence or attack by seven hundred points.’

‘Yeah, well just cause you have ‘em doesn’t mean you’ll draw them, Keith,’ Joey said.

Sharee, who had spent her whole life running over excavations sites during school term breaks, had a trained eye. She had to. Archaeological excavations, especially ones that turned up ancient treasures, attracted all kinds of crooks. Toward that end, she easily saw Keith quickly pull a card out of his wristband.

A quick glance at Pegasus and she saw his eyes directed there too. So he’d seen it, but he said nothing. Knowing his kind, he probably just wanted to see how the duel would go and then he’d bring it up. If not, she was more than willing to.

Sharee followed the path of the card and vaguely gave Keith’s slight of hands a score, six out of ten.

‘Well, what d’you know?’ Keith remarked. ‘Check out what card I just drew. He turned it around so Joey could see it. It was the second Seven Completed card. ‘I think I’ll go ahead and take it for a spin.’ The next wheel spun, again landing on seven. ‘This time for my attack power.’ The Slot Machine’s attack raised to 2700.

It seemed Sharee was the only one on the upper gallery to see it though.

‘Oh, no,’ Yugi said. ‘One more of those Seven Completed cards and that slot will have powered up enough to destroy Joey’s Red Eyes Dragon.’

‘And every other card he has too,’ Bakura added.

‘Next I’m throwing this down.’ Keith laid his card down. ‘Go, Blast Sphere!’ The card in question, an orb monster, appeared on the field. ‘And attach yourself to Joey’s Dragon.’

The Blast Sphere shot forward and clamped onto the Red Eyes.

‘Huh?’ Joey asked. ‘Blast Sphere?’

‘That’s right,’ Keith said. ‘And once I end my turn, it’ll self-destruct giving off 2900 points of damage to your Dragon.’

‘Self-destruct?’ Joey demanded.

‘Okay, dweeb,’ Keith said. ‘I’m ending my turn now. Your time’s up.’

The Sphere exploded.

‘Bam-o! Ha!’ Keith drew his thumb across his neck.

‘Oh.’ Sharee spotted it first.

The Red Eyes Black Dragon was still there.

‘Huh?’ Keith stopped laughing. ‘But…that Dragon should be blown to bits!’

The Red Eyes Black Dragon’s attack points went up to 3400.

‘This ain’t right!’ Keith insisted.

‘Oh, it’s right.’ Joey held up his card. ‘Thanks to my handy Dragon Nails card. It made my Red Eyes 600 attack points stronger.’

‘Of course,’ Tristan murmured. ‘The blast got deflected.’

‘You dweeb! Now my life points go down.’ Keith’s life points dropped to 400.

Joey’s smirk widened. ‘Aw, you’re gonna make me cry.’

As he drew the next time, Sharee saw him slip another card out of his wristband. As she thought, it was the final Seven Completed card. ‘Well, lookie what I got here.’ Keith held it up and then played it. ‘I think I’ll power up my Slot’s attack again.’ Now the two monsters were evenly matched. ‘Well, would you look at that!’

‘Both their monsters have the same attack points now,’ Bakura observed.

‘And Joey and Keith have almost the exact same amount of life points remaining too,’ Téa added.

Yugi nodded. ‘This next turn could decide the whole match.’

Joey drew and laid a card down.

‘Come on,’ Keith said. ‘We both know nothing you draw can help you. Just end your turn.’

Joey nodded.

‘Thanks. Now I think I’ll go ahead and end this duel.’

‘Huh?’

‘It’s all over for you.’ Keith held up a card. ‘Thanks to this. The Pillager.’

‘The what?’ Joey asked.

‘The Pillager lets me look at your duelling hand and steal one card from it,’ Keith said. ‘So lay ‘em down.’

Joey frowned but did. ‘Oh, man.’

Keith’s smirk widened. ‘I think I’ll take this one.’

Whichever one he took and Sharee was starting to get a nasty suspicion, it made Joey grind his teeth. Keith chuckled and held it up. Sharee hated being right sometimes. It was worse than being wrong.

‘I told ya you were through.’ Keith played it. ‘Go, Shield and Sword! Swap attack points with defence points.’ The attack and defence of each monster flipped. ‘Now, go Slot Machine.’ The Slot shifted to attack mode. ‘Plasma Laser Cannon!’

Joey moved. ‘Activate trap!’

‘Attack!’ Keith clearly didn’t hear him. The blast was shot and the Red Eyes was destroyed. He laughed. ‘I win…what?’ His mirth was cut off. ‘No way!’

When the smoke cleared away, Sharee snorted in amusement. The Grave Robber was standing there, holding Keith’s Time Machine card. Keith drew back in shock. So he hadn’t seen _all_ the cards in Joey’s deck.

Joey barked out a laugh. ‘You should have paid more attention to my last turn, Keith. Then you’d have seen the trap I set for you.’

Keith stared at it. ‘Since the Time Machine can bring back a monster from the previous turn then…that means…’

‘Bingo,’ Joey said, smiling proudly to himself. ‘My Dragon’s back.’ The Time Machine opened and the monster stepped out of it. ‘Red Eyes, welcome back. And since he’s back to how he was one turn ago, his attack is higher than your defence so good luck blocking this. Go, Flash Flare Blast!’ The Red Eyes attacked and the Slot Machine was destroyed.

Keith’s life points dropped to zero. ‘No way. He beat me! He actually won!’

***

Yugi scowled when Keith tried to call Joey on the fact that the Glory card wasn’t his but he relaxed when Joey responded. He held up the card in question. ‘He’s right. My card was missing so Mai gave me hers. But tell me, Keith, how could you have known that this wasn’t my card?’

Keith froze, stumbling, and Yugi’s suspicions were raised.

Joey’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’ll all ears. So, why don’t you explain yourself?’

Keith gritted his teeth.

‘He doesn’t need to,’ Pegasus said. ‘It’s clear that Keith stole Joey’s card. That’s why he was so certain that you would never be able to find it.’

‘You snake!’ Joey snapped at Keith. ‘I knew it!’

‘That big cheat!’ Téa cried.

‘Then Keith ought to be disqualified, not Joey!’ Tristan insisted.

‘And not just for that, either,’ Sharee said calmly.

‘Oh, indeed,’ Pegasus said. ‘Keith ought to be disqualified all right, but not simply for misdeeds outside of the duelling ring. As little Sharee also noticed, there were quite a bit improper conduct during the match that I observed too.’ He looked at Keith.

‘Is that so, Keith?’ Joey demanded.

‘Oh, yes,’ Pegasus said. ‘Keith kept his set of Seven Completed cards beneath his wristband. That way he could power up his Slot Machine monster whenever he chose.’

‘Man, Keith, that’s low!’ Joey said.

‘Take the scoundrel away,’ Pegasus ordered cheerfully. ‘Far away.’

Keith was dragged away from the duelling platform, kicking and screaming.

Pegasus then clapped. ‘Well done, Joseph. You should be quite proud. You duelled admirably.’

Yugi frowned like Joey was doing. He didn’t understand why Pegasus had to act so friendly after taking peoples’ souls and forcing them into these things the way he did. Sharee seemed to have a much better tolerance.

Commotion down the way Keith was dragged caught their attention. They all looked and saw Keith running back. Joey drew back, his body language showed he was prepared for a fistfight. ‘Aw, Keith!’

But Keith wasn’t after him. He launched himself at the balcony where the Duel Monsters creator was. ‘Pegasus!’

‘Whoa!’ Joey cried.

The rest of them watched in shock, even though Pegasus looked very calm. Keith landed on the balcony as if he had springs in his heels. The only one on their side looking unsurprised and unimpressed was Sharee.

‘You truly are a stubborn one, aren’t you?’ Pegasus asked Keith.

‘Can it!’ Keith snapped. ‘You ain’t talking your way out of this one. Now hand over that prize money, or else!’

‘Oh, certainly, Keith,’ Pegasus said. ‘I’ll do whatever you say. Just give my body a moment to recover from the complete paralysis that your terrifying demands have shocked me into.’

Sharee muttered to herself but Yugi still heard. ‘There’s probably a trap door there.’

‘Okay, wise guy,’ Keith growled. ‘I’ll give you til three.’

‘Fine. One, two, three.’ Pegasus unfolded his legs and set his other foot on the ground. Keith suddenly fell with a scream. It looked like Sharee was right. A trap door was set up right where Bandit Keith had been standing.

Croquet stepped around the still-open door and stood all dignified. ‘Now, the finalists for the next match will receive a ten minute recess. So rest up. Our host wants you both in top form for your duel.’

Yugi looked down at Joey. And he looked up at him. _Joey…This is it. To save my grandpa, I must duel my best friend._


	33. Best of Friends, Best of Duellists Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hardest duel of the tournament begins. Yugi vs. Joey.

Croquet spoke. ‘This play-off match between Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler will not only determine who wins the tournament, but also who wins a match with Mr. Maximillion Pegasus.’

Yugi and Joey were both at their duelling platforms. Yugi was feeling churned up and anxious. _I have to win that match with Pegasus. I have to stop him and save my grandpa._ But, at the same time, he didn’t want to have to duel his best friend.

***

Sharee stood at the upper gallery with Téa, Tristan and Bakura. They all stared down at their two friends. Both boys looked serious.

‘Who would have guessed that out of all the duellists who started in this tournament, two best friends would wind up in the final match?’ Bakura remarked.

‘Yeah,’ Tristan said. ‘This is definitely harsh, but at least one of them’s gonna get a chance to take on Pegasus.’

Téa was holding onto the banister so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. ‘I guess you’re right, but don’t you think it’d be easier if they just flipped a coin or something. Then we could get our match with Pegasus now.’ Sometimes, it was amazing how emotional she could be.

Sharee looked at her. ‘No. I’m afraid not. Here and now, Yugi and Joey are going to have to throw down everything they have in this duel.’ She paused. ‘But whoever wins will have to hold something back…because that way not even Pegasus’s Millennium Eye will be able to take it.’

‘Why do you put so much stock on that thing?’ Tristan asked.

Sharee frowned. ‘Because I understand precisely what it is. But, back to the point, Yugi and Joey have to duel now because they won their way up here. This is the only way it’s going to work.’

‘But Yugi and Joey are like brothers!’ Téa insisted. ‘They shouldn’t be forced to fight each other like this!’

‘A lot of things shouldn’t happen,’ Sharee said. _Such as you two being forced to live out of your own time in the bodies of a couple of kids._

_**True. Even from our ancient perspective, it’s wrong.** _

_Which is why you do it in this nicest possible way._

‘I totally hear what you’re saying,’ Tristan said. ‘But that’s just how this tournament works.’

‘Well, I don’t like it!’ Téa stated.

Sharee looked at her before returning her attention back to the duel. In the back of her mind, she was aware that Shamee was also staring at Téa. It was almost like she reminded her of someone from her lifetime.

‘Joey, wait a second.’

Sharee noted the apprehension in Yugi.

‘Listen, Yug,’ Joey told him. ‘I hope this isn’t about you having any second thoughts duelling me.’

‘Huh?’ Yugi asked.

‘Come on, pal!’ Joey told him.

‘I’m sorry, Joey,’ Yugi said. ‘But I don’t know if I can do this.’

Joey smiled. ‘Uh, suck it up, Yugi. You said it yourself. If it came down to us, we’d both just play our best and most honourable duel. That’s the only way we’re gonna know which one of us is best prepared to take on Pegasus in the final match. So let’s duel!’

Sharee smiled. _Inspired._ She saw Yugi gather his resolve.

‘What do you say, Yug?’ Joey asked. ‘Let’s do this thing.’

Sharee sensed Yugi hand control of his body to Yami. Out of unspoken agreement that had happened long before she met Yugi, Sharee followed his lead. She switched places with Shamee.

***

Yami nodded. ‘All right, Joey. Time to duel.’

‘Your gracious host will now make a few opening remarks,’ Croquet said.

Yami didn’t see what was gracious about Pegasus. The Duel Monsters “creator” stood and cleared his throat. ‘Congratulations, duellists. You’re the finest in the world. And for that reason, I look forward to a match that’s sure to consist of your duelling best. After all, should you give me anything less I will know.’ He laughed and sat back down.

_**I’m certain, Pegasus. I’m very certain.** _

‘Yugi,’ Joey said. ‘Before we start I just wanna say thanks, man.’

‘Huh?’ Yami asked.

Joey grinned. ‘Just look at me. I’m at the final match of the biggest Duel Monsters tournament that’s ever been thrown. And it’s all cause of you, bud. You got me here. You looked out for me.’

Oh, he understood now. ‘You’re wrong, Joey. You earned your place here.’

‘Thanks, pal,’ Joey responded. ‘You know that no matter what happens here, you’re my friend and you always will be, Yug. But, uh, don’t think that means I’m gonna go easy on you in this match. Or that I expect you to go easy on me. I’m ready for your best. So let’s do this!’

Yami nodded. _All right, Joey. You asked for my best and I intend to give it._

‘Let the match begin,’ Croquet said.

Yami and Joey spoke then in unison. ‘Let’s duel.’ They each drew five cards.

Yami moved first. ‘I’ll throw this in attack mode.’

‘Bring it!’ Joey called.

Yami laid down his card. ‘Go, Celtic Guardian!’ The Guardian appeared on the field.

Joey smirked.

‘All right, Joey,’ Yami said. ‘It’s your turn now.’

‘Okay, you asked for it!’ Joey threw down the card. ‘I’m throwing Giltia the Knight in attack mode.’ His Knight appeared on the field. ‘Giltia, attack. Soul Spear Assault!’ Giltia attacked and destroyed the Celtic Guardian. ‘Your Celtic Guardian’s been creamed!’

Yami’s life points dropped to 1550.

‘I warned you, Yugi. I’m not going to pull any punches in this here duel.’

Yami looked at Giltia. Yugi sighed exasperatedly in his head. _Joey left his Knight on the field, completely unprotected. Just one of those amateur mistakes could cost him the match if he were duelling Pegasus. What is he thinking?_ He lowered his cards. ‘Time out, Joey.’

‘Time out?’ Joey demanded.

‘Ever since we arrived on this island, I’ve done my very best to teach you everything that I know,’ Yami said. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Everything that Yugi knew, more like. ‘And now you must put everything you’ve learned into play. Think strategically. You cannot afford any mistakes.’

‘Mistakes?’ Joey asked. ‘I don’t get it. What are you saying, Yug? That I did something wrong already? It’s only been one turn so far.’

‘What I’m saying, Joey, is that in a duel of this magnitude, every single move you make is crucial,’ Yami responded, looking onto the field where Giltia stood. He needed to make Joey understand this. ‘One false card and it can cost you everything you’ve worked so hard for.’

‘I got it,’ Joey said. ‘Every move I make here has got to be right on the dot.’

Yami grinned. ‘That’s right, because here no one lets a mistake go unpunished. Not Pegasus and not me.’

Joey seemed to get it. ‘Okay. Time in. Now give me your best shot, pal.’

‘I intend to.’ Yami laid his card. ‘Go, Gaia, the Fierce Knight!’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘Attack!’ Gaia charged and destroyed Giltia. ‘Giltia the Knight is no more.’

‘You sure took it to me there, Yug,’ Joey said as his life points dropped to 1550. ‘Good move. Now let’s see what old Joey can come up with.’ He took a card out of his hand and laid it in play. ‘There. Armoured Lizard in defence mode.’

 _I know Joey has a better monster than that._ Yami smirked to himself. _Hm. I wonder what he’s planning here._

‘Come on, Yug,’ Joey said. ‘It’s your turn now.’

‘And I’ll play this.’ Yami laid his card. ‘The Summoned Skull in attack mode!’ The Skull appeared on the field. ‘Lightning Strike! Attack!’ The Skull attacked and Joey’s Lizard was destroyed. ‘Armoured Lizard is vanquished.’

But Joey was smiling. ‘Sorry, bud, but I was hoping you were gonna throw down that Summoned Skull card. I needed him out for my strategy to work. A strategy that has zero mistakes I might add. But, here, you don’t have to just take my word for it. You can see for yourself. Get ready, bud, cause now it’s my turn to teach you a lesson!’

Yami waited.

‘Okay, Yug! I’ll play this first in attack mode.’

Yami was surprised at which monster appeared on the field. ‘The Flame Swordsman? Why play him?’

Joey chuckled. ‘I hate doing this to you.’ He held up his magic card. ‘But I’m playing the magical Shield and Sword card.’

 _ **Rat rot!**_ ‘Oh, no!’ The attack and defence of their monsters flipped.

‘So how’s that for putting every slick move that I’ve learned here into play, Yug?’ Joey asked. ‘But you wish you didn’t show me the ropes quite so well now, huh, bud?’ He called to his monster. ‘Attack! Flaming Sword of Battle!’ Fire shot out of the Flame Swordsman’s blade and destroyed the Summoned Skull. ‘Summoned Skull’s been reduced to ash!’

‘Good playing, Joey,’ Yami said. ‘You not only reduced my life points…’ To 1150. ‘…but you took out one of my best monsters too.’

‘Thanks, pal. But it’s nothing compared to some of the other moves I got ready to bust out in this duel.’

‘And I look forward to them, Joey. But remember, you’re not the only one with powerful moves ready to play.’

‘Well, then, bring ‘em on, pal.’ Joey grinned. ‘So, let’s see one of them moves, Yugi.’

‘Very well, Joey. Summoned Skull will now be avenged.’

‘Oh, yeah? Well, you’re gonna have to get through my Flame Swordsman first!’

‘Precisely!’ Yami laid his card down. ‘Curse of Dragon! Attack mode!’ The beast appeared on the field.

Joey gritted his teeth.

Yami held up his second card. ‘And next, I’ll use this Polymerisation card to fuse my Dragon with Gaia, the Fierce Knight!’

‘What?’ Joey demanded, despite him having seen this combo before.

‘Behold, Gaia the Dragon Champion!’ The two monsters fused onto one. ‘Now, my Dragon Champion, attack!’ He shot forward and destroyed the Flame Swordsman. ‘Your Swordsman’s been trounced.’

Joey’s life points dropped to 750.

***

Joey had a feeling he knew how to beat that Dragon Champion, maybe even clinch the match. All he needed was three cards. He’d just drawn one and had the other two in his hand. Joey grinned. When he did, Yugi’s smirk fell away.

‘Yugi,’ Joey said. ‘Your Dragon Champ’s done for. Watch this!’

‘He’s done for?’ Yugi asked.

‘First I’m summoning the Red Eyes Black Dragon in attack mode!’ The Red Eyes rose up on the field. Joey held up another card. ‘Then I’ll add Grave Robber to steal a monster from your graveyard.’

‘My Skull?’ Yugi asked.

The Grave Robber appeared on the field and turned around the Summoned Skull card. It disappeared. ‘Yeah, that’s right, Yugi. Now he’s mine.’ The Skull appeared on the field.

Yugi drew back. ‘No!’

Joey chuckled. ‘And next, I think I’ll throw down this little critter right here. Check out the Copycat card!’ He played it. ‘Now I can copy any card you have on the field and I know just which one I want too. The powerful, mystical, magical Polymerisation!’

‘My fusion card.’

‘Bingo,’ Joey said. ‘I may never have played it before, but I’ve seen you use it plenty of times. Red Eyes Black Dragon and Summoned Skull, combine yourselves into one.’ The two monsters fused together. ‘And check it out. The Black Skull Dragon.’

‘Oh, no,’ Yugi said.

Above them, Pegasus clapped. ‘Superb. Two fused duel monsters set for battle. Great!’

‘All right, buddy. I’m sure you know what’s coming next so you better brace yourself.’ Joey called to his monster. ‘Go, Black Skull Dragon! Attack the Dragon Champion now! Molten Fire Ball!’ The Black Skull Dragon fired the attack and the Dragon Champion was destroyed.

Yugi’s life points dropped to 550.

‘I did it! I can’t believe I actually did it! I just took down one of the most powerful monsters in your whole deck! I just beat your Dragon Champion!’ Joey was going to take a moment to savour this and then get on with the duel. ‘You gotta admit, Yug, that was a pretty sweet move I played, with the whole Polymerisation thing and all.’

Yugi said nothing, but he remained straight-faced.

‘I get it. You got your game face on to try and keep me in suspense, huh, Yug?’

Yugi smirked. ‘No, Joey. I’m just letting you enjoy your triumph. You played a fine move. And now allow me to play mine.’

‘Ready, pal?’ Joey asked. ‘Because my Black Skull Dragon’s about to end this match.’

‘Wrong,’ Yugi said. ‘This duel’s just getting started.’


	34. Best of Friends, Best of Duellists Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The semi-finals come to an end.

Sharee stared down at the duel. It’d just become clear to her but Pegasus wasn’t paying any attention to her, so she could think freely about it. She didn’t get it. The Millennium Eye – the ultimate tool for mind-reading – and he didn’t notice? It was blindingly obvious to her when she spoke to Shamee in her head. They had completely different voices and attitudes, without differing too much. And she often asked Shamee questions. Yugi and Yami probably had the same thing going on.

How could Pegasus not notice?

‘The game is really too close,’ Téa said.

‘Yeah,’ Tristan agreed. ‘They’re both playing at the top of their form. I mean either one of them could win.’

‘You’re right,’ Bakura told him. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an exciting duel. And who would have thought that at this point Joey would have more life points left than Yugi? Truly extraordinary!’

Their friends, Sharee could understand. Most people lived in a blissful state of denial. The shifts in spirits, most would put down to split personality disorder but Pegasus could read minds. He should be able to hear both voices in their heads. Then again, maybe it was a good thing he didn’t know.

Yami drew. His face shifted.

‘Go ahead and toss it, Yug,’ Joey told him. ‘It won’t surprise me. I know your cards by heart.’

‘True.’ Yami looked up at him. ‘You’ll also know it’s my favourite. And it’s one of my most powerful cards.’ He laid the card and the monster appeared on the field. ‘Dark Magician, attack mode!’

Joey grinned. ‘Figures. You always count on the Dark Magician when you’re in a tight spot. But not this time. Even he’s no match for my Skull Dragon.’

The Smirk appeared on Yami’s face. ‘Are you sure?’

‘In a duel, the monster with the lowest attack strength loses. That’s one of the first lessons you ever taught me about Duel Monsters, Yugi.’ Joey pointed at him. ‘Your past has come back to haunt you!’

‘Let’s see who spooks whom,’ Yami said. ‘Don’t forget. I also taught you how to protect your weaker monsters by enhancing them with magic cards.’

Joey’s expression, as he drew back, was just screaming “oh, crap, no”. ‘Don’t tell me…?’

‘You know what’s coming.’ Yami pulled the card from his hand and played it. ‘Magical Hats, protect and conceal the Dark Magician.’

And just that happened.

***

Joey stared at the Hats as they appeared. ‘I usually like this trick!’

‘It’s your pick, Joey,’ Yugi said. ‘So tell me. Which hat do you think is hiding the Dark Magician?’

Joey gritted his teeth. _I was hoping to end this duel before he drew the Magical Hats. Now I gotta depend on luck, not duelling skill, to help me find his Dark Magician._

‘Come on,’ Yugi said. ‘Pick a hat.’

Joey jammed his eyes shut. ‘Okay, guess I just gotta take ‘em down one at a time. Attack, Molten Fireball!’ The Skull Dragon’s attack slammed into a hat, but it was empty. ‘One down.’

Yugi chuckled. ‘From the looks of things, you picked wrong. That leaves three.’

‘Aw, nuts!’ Joey exclaimed. ‘This’ll give you another turn to fight back!’ And whenever Yugi was given chances like this, he always kicked butt.

‘So now that your attack on my Dark Magician has failed, is there any other play you want to make before I end your turn?’ Yugi asked.

Joey smiled. ‘Now that you mention it, I did have one more move in mind. I hope I’m doing the right thing here, by playing this card. I mean, it could be a mistake.’ He laid the card down. ‘But I play Garussies in attack mode.’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘Your turn.’

‘Why play that card?’ Yugi asked.

‘Oh, you’re right,’ Joey said. ‘What could I have been thinking? The Dark Magician has an attack power of 2500 and Garussies only has an attack strength of 1800.’

‘Yes?’ Yugi drawled.

‘I guess you have no choice but to attack Garussies,’ Joey said. ‘I’m almost giving you the game, but I got no one to blame but myself. So go ahead, Yug, bring it on. Attack me with your Dark Magician. That’s what I get for my bone-head move.’

Yugi just stood there.

‘What’s the matter?’ Joey asked. ‘Bring it on. I can’t stop your attack.’

‘Sorry, Joey, but I’m not going to fall for that one.’ Yugi laid a card down. ‘Instead, I’ll put this card inside one of the Magical Hats and end my turn.’

_Ah! He was too smart for me._

‘Time to pick another Hat, Joey.’

 _Great!_ Joey put a hand to his head. _Now he’s got something else hidden under those Hats I gotta worry about. And, knowing Yugi, it’s probably a trap._ He studied the field. _But wait. Yugi knows me. And he would know that I would know that he’s laying a trap so maybe he didn’t play a trap after all. Maybe it’s a monster card instead. But…what if he knows that I would think that, so it really is a trap card. Except that he knows that I know that he knows what I know, eh…_ He just lost himself. _Oh, forget it! I’m just gonna attack._ ‘Black Skull Dragon, attack!’ The Dragon roared. ‘Molten Fireball!’ The attack sailed through the air and hit one of the Hats when the smoke cleared, nothing was there. ‘Nothing! I missed again.’

Yugi’s next turn showed up very little. Then Joey was up again.

‘I’m not gonna miss this time, Yugi,’ Joey insisted. ‘I’m gonna blast your Dark Magician. Dragon, attack the Hat on the far left. Go now. Molten Fireball!’

The Dragon roared and shot. It hit the Hat in question and this time, when the smoke cleared, a very familiar trap was there. Joey drew back.

‘You activated my trap,’ Yugi said. ‘Spell-Binding Circle!’ It shot forward and ensnared the Black Skull Dragon, dropping his attack points down to 2500.

‘That dropped my Skull’s attack points,’ Joey observed. ‘Now he’s vulnerable to an attack. I can’t risk both my monsters! Garussies, defence mode!’

‘Now you’re on the defensive,’ Yugi said. ‘And it’s a nice change.’

Joey stared across the field. _Yugi’s the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced, but I’ll beat him!_

‘Joey,’ Yugi said. ‘You’ve duelled well, but the tide of this battle is about to turn.’ He smirked. Funny. Yug never smirked except when he was duelling. ‘Okay, Joey. Prepare yourself. I’m going to obliterate your Dragon!’

‘You what?’ Joey drew back, but only for a moment. Then he clenched his fist. ‘I’m ready for you. Bring it on!’

Yugi drew and, to Joey’s fear, smirked. ‘This is it, Joey. The card I drew will vanquish your Skull Dragon once and for all.’ He turned the card around, displaying it. ‘The Book of Secret Arts! And with its ancient magic, my Dark Magician becomes three hundred attack points stronger.’ Yugi played the card. The Magician emerged from the only remaining Magical Hat and his attack strength rose up to 2800. ‘Go, Dark Magician! Attack the Black Skull Dragon!’ The Magician attacked and the Dragon was destroyed. Yugi waited until the gust created by the attack died down. ‘Joey, Black Skull is beaten.’

Above them, Pegasus clapped. ‘Excellent work, Yugi-boy. You took out his very best monster.’

***

Yami watched Joey across the field with a proud smile on his face. _Joey’s kept me down all match long. But now I finally have the advantage. Not only is my Dark Magician three hundred points stronger than normal, but he’s ready to show off a few…hidden powers too._

Yami watched Joey falter but only for a moment. He watched his friend’s eyes narrow in determination before he drew. Joey suddenly smiled and Yami frowned. ‘Hm?’

Joey smirked. ‘All right, Yugi, time to kiss the baby!’ He threw the card down. ‘Go! Baby Dragon, attack mode!’ The Dragon appeared on the field. ‘And I’m laying this down too.’ Joey set a card face down on the field.

 _That second card Joey threw must be the Time Wizard. He always plays them together. I have to do something before he actives its magic and warps that Baby Dragon into its adult form._ ‘Sorry, Joey, but my Dark Magician will destroy your Baby Dragon! Dark Magic attack!’ The Magician began its attack.

‘Sorry, Yug,’ Joey said. ‘But you just walked into a trap.’ He held up his card, revealing it wasn’t the Time Wizard.’

‘What?’ Yami asked.

‘Go ahead and let ‘em have it, Garussies!’ Joey called. ‘Kunai With Chain!’ Garussies caught the thing as it appeared on the field and flung it forward. The Dark Magician was stopped and the chain wrapped around him. A pained look came over his face.

Yami gritted his teeth. _Clever move. Joey knew I was expecting the Time Wizard so he threw a trap instead._

Joey spoke with laughter in his voice. ‘Well, Yug, I’d say that last move brings us to the home stretch. Wouldn’t you?’

‘I would,’ Yami said. ‘And now, Joey, let’s finish this match and find out which one of us will duel against Pegasus.’

‘Hey, Yug?’

‘Joey?’

‘Just know, it’s been a real honour duelling you.’

‘Likewise.’

‘I know neither of us want to lose this match, but if I do I’m glad it was to you, buddy. Now let’s do what you said, buddy and finish this duel.’

‘Hm.’

‘And may this draw will do just that. Guess there’s just one way to find out. Here goes.’ Joey drew. ‘Unreal! I pulled the one card in my whole deck that really can finish this duel and decide a winner.’

‘You mean, you pulled…?’

‘That’s right!’ Joey laid the card down. ‘The Time Wizard!’

Yami gasped as the monster in question appeared on the field.

Joey smiled. ‘Kind of strange that this is all coming down to a card that you gave me.’

Yami smiled tightly.

‘You were right, Yugi,’ Joey said. ‘That card you gave me saved my keister quite a few times in this tournament. And now, with my Baby Dragon on the field, and both of us just life points away from winning or losing this duel I’m gonna give it one last spin and hope that it saves me again. So cross your fingers and get set to adjust your clocks, because here it comes.’ He called to the Time Wizard. ‘Go, Time Roulette!’

Yami watched calmly as the arrow began to spin. His mind quickly went over the math. It was true. Most monsters suffered under this effect, but some became stronger for it. The Baby Dragon being one of them. What were the others? Yami ran through a list of them.

Oh. Little to worry about then.

The arrow stopped on a time warp. ‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘Jackpot!’

Yami narrowed his eyes. He wouldn’t say anything yet.

‘Go, Time Warp!’ Joey called.

‘Time Magic!’ The Time Wizard jumped into the air and the field warped as a thousand years passed on the playing field. The Thousand Dragon was now on the opposing side of the field.

‘Sorry, Yug,’ Joey said. ‘But I’m afraid my Time Warp has made your Dark Magician a sickly old man.’ It certainly looked that way, head drooped and body slumped but Yami was holding the actual transformation off for now. Joey rubbed his arm across his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. ‘I’m gonna win!’

That’s what you think.

‘Attack!’ Joey ordered. ‘Noxious Nostril Gust!’

The Dragon attacking, blowing the attack forward but Yami timed it and stopped the attack half-way across. ‘I counter with Mokiyu, the Magical Mist!’ The water sprayed out from the Dark Magician and snuffed out the Dragon’s Gust before it even crossed the half-way point on the field.

‘Huh?’ Joey demanded. ‘My attack’s getting smothered!’

Even Pegasus leaned forward, surprised. On the upper gallery, though, only Tristan, Téa and Bakura were surprised. Shamee was watching with a smirk on her face. She knew this one.

‘What’s going on?’ Tea demanded.

‘How did you play Mokiyu while it was still my turn?’ Joey asked.

‘With magic,’ Yami said. ‘A magic so powerful that it took my Dark Magician a thousand years to learn it.’

‘Say what?’

‘That Time Warp did age my Dark Magician. But it made him stronger, not weaker.’ Yami finally allowed the Magician to transform. ‘And with age comes great wisdom. A thousand years of wisdom that have transformed him into the Dark Sage. An ultimate magician whose magic powers let me play one magic card during every one of your turns and every one of mine. And the magic card I chose to counter your attack: Mokiyu, the Magical Mist! With its enchanted rainfall upon the field, your Dragon’s smokescreen was neutralised before it reached my mage.’

Sounds of amazement came from most of their audience.

‘Now I invoke his powers for my turn and draw this magic card.’ Yami drew with tears in his eyes. ‘You’ve fought a valiant duel, my friend, and this is the hardest move I’ve ever had to make.’ He closed his eyes and the tears ran down his cheeks. He opened his eyes again. ‘But this ends now.’ Yami watched Joey’s startled gasp and played his card. ‘I play Monster Reborn and call Black Skull Dragon back from the graveyard.’ The beast appeared before him with a mighty roar.

Across the field, tears dropped from Joey’s eyes too and he muttered to himself. But he smiled and called across. ‘Yugi, go for it. It’s cool!’

Yami nodded. ‘All right. Black Skull Dragon…Molten Fireball Attack!’

The attack crossed the field and slammed into the Thousand Dragon, destroying it. Joey’s life points dropped to zero.


	35. Match of the Millennium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle between Yugi and Pegasus begins.

Yugi flicked through his cards. _This is it. Just me and the deck grandpa gave me against Pegasus. Pegasus may have captured his soul, but his heart has always been right here with me, in these cards._ Yugi put the cards back together. ‘Trust me, gramps, I won’t let you down.’ You taught me everything I know about Duel Monsters. About the rules, strategy, about stuff you can’t learn in any book. He remembered his grandfather telling him to never lose faith. That was what led to defeat in both Duel Monsters and in life. His grandfather had then chuckled and remarked on how that advice was more valuable than any card you’ll ever own. “I should know. I’ve collected the best cards in the game”. _And you gave them all to me. I’ll use them to win, gramps. I’ll rescue you from Pegasus._

Yugi tucked his cards away and turned. When he walked through the doors, he was mildly surprised to see his friends all waiting for him. But not too much so. ‘Huh?’

‘Surprise!’ Téa exclaimed.

‘Guys, what are you doing…?’ he began to ask.

Tristan answered before he’d finished his question. ‘Hey, Yug. We all wanted to wish you well. You’re the best!’

‘Looks like you finally made it,’ Joey said. ‘You’re going all the way, buddy.’

Téa took a step forward. ‘And once it’s over, we’ll get your grandpa home.’

Yugi nodded. ‘Thank you, Téa. It means a lot.’

Croquet spoke from the other side of the arena. ‘The time has come. Would Yugi Moto, the challenger, please enter the duel ring? Mr. Pegasus awaits you.’

Yugi’s eyes narrowed. He was sure.

‘Go get him, Yug!’ Joey said.

Yugi relinquished control of his body to Yami. At the same time, he felt a stirring in his mind that he was beginning to realise meant Sharee was doing the same thing for Shamee.

_Let’s end this, Pegasus._

***

Shamee stood with their friends as she watched Yami head down to the arena.

‘He looks so determined,’ Téa remarked.

‘Yugi, take him down!’ Tristan called to him.

‘We know you can!’ Téa added.

Joey pumped his fist. ‘Put that slime-bucket in his place, once and for all!’

Yami stepped onto the duelling platform.

‘The challenger has entered the stadium,’ Croquet said. ‘And now, for your duelling pleasure, Castle Pegasus is proud to present the creator of Duel Monsters and all it’s wondrous cards…’

 _ **Creator?**_ Shamee and Sharee both had the same thought at the same time. _Creator?_

Croquet’s voice was getting a little too enthusiastic. ‘…the undefeated, undisputed ruler of Duellist Kingdom, Maximillion Pegasus!’

Pegasus smirked.

Croquet finished his speech. ‘And now, let the duel begin.’

Pegasus raised his hand and inclined one of his goons closer. The man came over and the so-called creator took a deck of cards from the tray. He walked forward. ‘So, Yugi-boy, you’ve turned out to be quite the young duellist. Battling your way past all the other challengers, winning your way into the Castle just to face me.’

‘Pegasus!’ Yami pointed a stern finger at him. The action reminded Shamee of something, but she couldn’t think what. ‘Before we begin this duel, I want you to agree to keep your promise. That if I defeat you, you’ll release my grandfather’s soul to me.’ He clenched his hand into a fist.

Pegasus stepped up to his duelling platform. ‘But of course. I’m a man of my word.’

Yami frowned. ‘And that’s not all! You must also free the souls of Seto and Mokuba Kaiba.’

‘What a strange demand,’ Pegasus remarked. ‘I thought you hated Kaiba as much as you hate me, Yugi.’

‘Maybe I need to keep a vow of my own, Pegasus,’ Yami said. Shamee remembered that and, clearly, so did Yami apparently.

Pegasus suddenly said, ‘Oh, I see. A vow to Mokuba.’

Yami didn’t often look shocked, but he did now.

‘Okay, Yugi, boy. If it will put your mind at ease, I agree to your terms.’ Pegasus held up the three soul cards in question. ‘If you win your battle with me, I shall free these three from their lonesome prison of souls.’

‘Pegasus is up to something,’ Tristan stated.

‘I know,’ Joey said. ‘I think he planned to take on Yugi in the final match all along.’

Téa just stared down at the duelling stadium. ‘He’s after something, that’s for sure.’

_Yeah, the Millennium Puzzle._

_**And then probably the Bandanna.** _

In their head, Sharee ground her teeth.

‘I hope that Yugi can handle him,’ Bakura said. ‘Throughout the entire tournament, Pegasus has stacked the deck in his own favour every step of the way.’

‘You kidding me?’ Joey demanded, turning to them. ‘Yugi’s gonna kick his keister! When this is all over, Yugi’s gonna be the undisputed champion. Pegasus won’t even have a clue what hit him.’

‘He’s right.’ Téa smiled encouragingly. ‘I know it!’

Shamee noticed a look cross Tristan’s face.

‘I don’t know,’ Bakura murmured.

‘You can’t have such a negative attitude, guys,’ Joey insisted. ‘Yugi’s counting on us too.’

‘But Pegasus has never played fair,’ Tristan said. ‘He started by kidnapping Yugi’s grandpa. Going into this final match, we don’t know what kind of tricks he’ll pull.’

Téa frowned determinedly. ‘Whatever tricks he tries, whatever card he plays, Yugi will overcome them. Yugi hasn’t come all this way to lose in the final match!’

Joey turned his head. ‘Look at him! No way that overdressed prima-donna stands a chance against our buddy.’

‘Maybe…’ Tristan trailed off.

Joey clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Trust me. Yugi’s no Kaiba. He’s gonna beat this clown.’

‘They’re just about to draw their first cards,’ Téa said. ‘Let’s head to the upper gallery so we can get a better view.’

‘Good idea, Téa.’ Joey and Téa went up. Shamee was going to follow but she noticed that Tristan and Bakura stayed where they were so she did as well.

‘Guess there’s nothing we can do but wait for the duel to play out,’ Bakura said. ‘Pegasus holds all the cards right now.’

Tristan turned and looked at him.

‘As long as he holds his prisoners, we’re going to be at his mercy, no matter what the outcome of the game.’

‘Right!’ Tristan started to run off.

Sharee turned her head, curiously. Now where was he running off to? Surely he wasn’t going to the latrine.

‘Tristan, where are you going?’ Bakura asked.

Tristan stopped and turned around. ‘I’m gonna see if I can find Kaiba or Mokuba anywhere. Because if I can get them back, even without their souls, then Pegasus won’t hold all the cards.’ He went to run off again.

Shamee stopped him. ‘You’re a little late for that.’

‘Huh?’ Tristan asked.

Shamee walked around Bakura. ‘I did that this morning. That’s really why I was late getting to the duel. I lied because I didn’t want any unfriendly parties hearing the wrong thing. Mokuba’s locked safe in my room.’

Tristan blinked at her. ‘How’d you think of that?’

Shamee laughed and turned around. She stopped. ‘Where’d Bakura go?’

‘He went through those doors when you were talking,’ Tristan pointed to the doors that led out of the chamber.

‘Uh oh.’ Shamee was working it out very fast. Speaking of unfriendly parties…

‘What?’ Tristan asked.

‘Do you remember that dream you had?’ Shamee asked. ‘About there being two Yugis, two of me and all of us dressed up as duel monsters.’

‘Yeah…’ Tristan rubbed his head. ‘Strange. I never usually hold on to a dream so long.’

‘That’s because it wasn’t a dream,’ Shamee said. ‘An Evil Spirit took over Bakura and now it’s back.’ She grabbed his arm. ‘Come on!’ She dragged him after Bakura.

***

Téa stood beside Joey on the upper gallery.

‘Challenger Yugi Moto, as per the rules of the Duellist Kingdom Tournament, present the card that entitles you to participate,’ Croquet said.

Yugi held it up. ‘As per your rules, here it is. Glory of the King’s Opposite Hand.’

‘So it is.’ Croquet nodded. ‘And so the stage is set for the final and deciding duel of the Duellist Kingdom competition. Just as the card you hold is a blank slate, there are no limits to the prize you may request of your opponent if you are the victor. You can decide if you wish to take over his company as your reward for winning.’

Yugi looked surprised and Téa felt so as well. Pegasus was willing to give anything if he lost this duel? What was the catch?

Croquet went on, ignoring Yugi’s surprise. ‘You can ask for this entire island or demand Mr. Maximillion Pegasus’s Millennium Eye as your prize.’

‘This is crazy!’ Joey insisted from beside her.

‘Hm!’ Pegasus remarked from below. ‘Any request will be honoured? Wow, that’s what I call a prize! Do I know how to throw a tournament or do I know how to throw a Duellist Kingdom Tournament?’

Yugi, bless him, kept his initial request though. ‘Promise me that you will restore the souls of my grandfather and all the others.’

Pegasus spread his hands for a moment. ‘Yes. But if I am the one who defeats you instead, you have to fulfil your end of the bargain as well. Take a close look at the card you hold in your hand, Yugi-boy. There’s a reason that it’s blank, you know. For if I win, I claim your soul forever!’ Pegasus pointed at him. ‘So you see, you have much to gain. But much to risk as well.’

‘It’s a risk that I’m willing to take to free the souls of my grandpa and the others,’ Yugi said. ‘But I don’t plan to lose.’

‘We shall see.’

‘We will indeed, Pegasus.’

‘So courageous! So defiant!’

‘Did you hear that?’ Téa demanded. ‘If Yugi loses, Pegasus will steal his soul too!’

‘What a creep,’ Joey remarked. ‘But even knowing what’s on the line, Yugi still isn’t going to back down.’

Téa stared down. _Oh, Yugi, you just can’t lose! If you did, I’d…You just have to win. You have to!_

***

Yami smirked. ‘I hate to disappoint you, Pegasus, but I have no intention of ever becoming part of your soul card collection.’

‘The final duellist contest will now begin,’ Croquet said. ‘The winner will be declared King of Games!’

A stand came down with two of Pegasus’s goons on it. Their purpose was soon revealed.

‘Now, both of you cut and shuffle your opponents’ cards,’ Croquet said.

Yami did so but he knew Pegasus just tapped his duelling deck and said, ‘It’s good as is.’

Not that he would expect anything else.

Croquet went on as it happened. ‘Now the cards will be returned, the scores will be set and…’

‘Duel!’ Yami and Pegasus said in unison. They both drew their five cards. Pegasus looked up at him and smirked.

Yami gritted his teeth. _I…won’t lose. I can’t lose!_ He made the first move, pulling a card from his hand. ‘This is it. Now we begin.’ Yami laid his card. ‘I lay one card face down and throw this monster card in defence mode.’ He laid his second card down.

‘Oo!’ Pegasus exclaimed. ‘Sneaky playing, Yugi. That wouldn’t be a Beaver Warrior would it?’

_Is his Millennium Eye really allowing him to read my cards?_

Pegasus chuckled and Yami’s eyes narrowed.

‘Oh, this is so much fun!’ Pegasus drew. ‘I’ll lay one card face down as well and throw this, my own monster card.’ He laid his cards down. ‘I play Red Archery Girl in defence mode.’ The monster, which looked like a mermaid in a giant clam, appeared on the field. ‘Back to you, Yugi-boy.’

 _Red Archery Girl? Why did he play such a weak monster in defence mode? Is he trying to draw me into an attack? Pegasus seems so confident._ Yami looked down at his cards. _But that’s always been his style, never to reveal his true motives. His down card worries me but I can’t pass up this chance to gain an early point advantage. I have to take a chance and strike!_ Yami flipped his monster card up. ‘I switch the Beaver Warrior I had hidden to attack mode.’ The monster appeared on the field. He moved onto the next one. ‘And I activate my hidden card, the Horn of the Unicorn as well.’ The Horn appeared on the Beaver Warrior’s head. ‘It’s electricity powers up his sword, raising Beaver Warrior’s attack power by 700. Now, attack the Archery Girl!’ The Beaver began the attack he’d just ordered.

‘You’ve made a grave mistake, Yugi,’ Pegasus said. ‘You’ve activated my trap card.’

Yami ground his teeth. _I should’ve known!_

‘Tears of a Mermaid.’ Pegasus flipped the card up. The Archery Girl’s eyes glowed and bubbles flew out, quickly enveloping the Beaver Warrior before it could launch its attack.

‘What’s happening?’ Yami demanded.

‘Unfortunately for you, Tears of a Mermaid activates the moment an opponent’s hidden card is put into play,’ Pegasus said. ‘It blocks all possible attacks by the opponent’s monster. The Beaver Warrior’s electric attack backfires against the Beaver itself and its attack power drops to its original value.’

The Horn vanished as just that happened. Yami grunted in frustration.

‘Now that it’s weaker, I’ll switch my Red Archery Girl to attack mode.’ Pegasus did just that. ‘Archery Girl, turn that Beaver into road kill!’ She fired her arrow and the Beaver Warrior was destroyed.

‘Beaver Warrior is eliminated,’ Pegasus said as Yami’s life points dropped to 1800. _Pegasus must be reading my mind! It’s the only way he could have been so prepared to counter my cards. How can I defeat an opponent who can know my cards and sense my strategies as soon as I think them up?_

‘I think – oh, wait,’ Pegasus said. ‘I know you’re just beginning to comprehend my power. Do you now realise the magnitude of the danger that you’ve put yourself in by accepting this duel? How can you defeat not only the creator of Duel Monsters but a duellist who can read your every thought? I can see everything in your mind. Your hopes, your dreams, even your fears. And what you fear most right now is me – and with good reason. You know my mind-reading abilities give me an unbeatable advantage.’

Yami was shaking in anger, actually. ‘No matter what the odds, I will never surrender to you, Pegasus!’ He laid his card. ‘I play one monster in defence mode and end my turn. Now, do your worst.’

Pegasus chuckled. ‘I always do.’

‘Yugi, you can do it!’ Téa called.

‘Nobody’s won this yet, buddy!’ Joey reminded him.

***

Shamee was running fast. Tristan was on her heels. It took about as long as she expected it to before he began asking.

‘You guys…there’s two of you and two of Yugi, isn’t there?’ Tristan called.

‘There’s a bit more to it than that, but if it helps, yes,’ Shamee called back.

‘What’s the deal?’

‘We’re not entirely sure.’ Shamee glanced back at him. ‘We don’t actually remember why but we’ve been bonded to these items for centuries. When Sharee touched the eye of this Bandanna, she agreed to host me in her body. When Yugi solved the Puzzle, he agreed to host Yami.’

‘Yami’s the guy that we see duelling?’

‘That’s right.’

They spun around the corner and stopped suddenly. Shamee saw exactly what she’d been afraid of. The Evil Spirit within the Ring was using his Item to slowly break the seal that Shamee had put up.

Without hesitation, Shamee jumped at him.

***

‘Could it be…my turn?’ Pegasus drew. ‘It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.’ He laid his card. ‘First, Ryoran, in defence mode.’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘Not eggs-actly what you were expecting, is it? And I switch the Archery Girl to defence mode too.’ The Archery Girl drew back. ‘Your move, Yugi.’

‘I’ll scramble your egg,’ Yami said. ‘If that’s the best you’ve got, I’ll still defeat you.’ He drew.

‘Could the card you just drew be Summoned Skull?’ Pegasus asked.

‘Curse you, Pegasus!’ Yami snapped.

Pegasus smirked wickedly. ‘I think the Summoned Skull will go very nicely with you Celtic Guardian, Spell-Binding Circle, Magical Hats and Horned Imp.’

‘Don’t let him psych you out, buddy!’ Joey called.

‘That’s right!’ Téa added. ‘You can still beat him!’

_But how? He knows all my cards the instant I draw them. With that Millennium Eye of his, he’s unstoppable!_


	36. Match of the Millennium Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duel continues.

‘Yugi!’ Téa called. ‘Don’t let that creep intimidate you!’

‘Yeah, just play your game!’ Joey added.

The smirk that Pegasus was wearing made Yami uneasy. But all the same, maybe this combo would work. He couldn’t give up. There was just too much riding on the game.   
Something in the back of his mind niggled at him. There was a way to thwart the Millennium Eye, but he just couldn’t remember what it was.

‘It’s my turn,’ Yami said. ‘And first I’m laying this card face down. He laid down the Spell-Binding Circle. ‘And next, I’ll throw the Summoned Skull in defensive mode.’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘And I’ll leave it at that.’

‘Goody,’ Pegasus said. ‘Now it’s my turn once again.’ He drew. ‘I’m switching Ryoran into attack mode.’ The monster, cliché as it sounded, burst out of his shell and roared.   
‘Ryoran, Fire Stream attack!’ The monster shot fire at them.

‘With your attack, you’ve activated my trap card.’ Yami flipped it up. That was a little too easy. ‘The Spell-Binding Circle.’ The Circle appeared on the field, blocking the attack from his Skull. It shot forward and wrapped around Ryoran. ‘My Circle has stopped your attack and that’s not all. It also ensnares Ryoran in a binding spell of magic.’

‘Oh, no!’ Pegasus said over-dramatically.

Yami ignored that. ‘And reduces his attack power by seven hundred points.’

***

Shamee’s punch missed him, sending her sailing right past. She spun around and scowled at “Bakura”. ‘I knew it. I thought we got rid of you last time.’

“Bakura” chuckled. ‘You only claimed that victory because Bakura betrayed me.’

‘That’s the problem with a vessel,’ Shamee said. ‘Its got a mind of its own…oh, rat rot!’ She glanced at the door.

‘Hey!’ someone suddenly called from behind.

Shamee turned her head and winced. There were five guards running up the hallway towards them.

‘Hey, that’s the kid that took Mokuba!’

‘He must be in that room! Get them!’

Shamee turned, because she knew that Tristan was still where he could keep an eye on the Evil Spirit. Before she could say or do anything, though, Shamee felt Shadow Powers be exercised. Tristan cried out in surprise as something leapt over her shoulder and the Man-Eater Bug was suddenly attacking the goons.

***

Yami shifted his card. ‘And now, Pegasus, with my Skull poised for attack and the magic of my trap in full effect, Ryoran will be struck down. Go, Lightning Strike attack!’ The Summoned Skull began his attack.

‘Not so fast, Yugi.’ Pegasus lifted his card and flipped it over. ‘I played this.’

‘What?’ Yami was sure he’d never seen that before. ‘What is that?’

‘A trap,’ Pegasus said. ‘Well, a trap for traps, actually. It’s called Trap Displacement and with it, I can take the Spell-Binding Circle set on one of my monsters and switch it to one of yours.’ As he spoke, just that happened. ‘Observe.’ Ryoran’s attack points returned to normal while the Summoned Skull’s attack points dropped to 1800.

‘No!’ Yami knew it was too easy. ‘Now, Ryoran’s attack strength is back to normal and my Summoned Skull’s 700 points weaker.’

‘Why, it’s almost as if I knew exactly what you were thinking, isn’t it?’ Pegasus chuckled.

Yami’s eyes narrowed.

‘Fire Stream attack!’ Pegasus called to Ryoran. The monster attacked and the Summoned Skull was destroyed.

Yami’s life points dropped down to 1400. Yami stared in fear. Was he really going to lose this whole thing due to something he was reasonably sure he should have power over? The thought caused physical pain, like when he’d considered he may have to lose to Kaiba, to shoot through his mind. _Pegasus knows every duelling strategy I think up. I can’t hide anything from his eye._

***

‘As you can see, there’s not a trace of those pathetic mortals left,’ the Thief King said, smirking at Shamee. ‘Now, why don’t you open the door for me?’

‘Why would I do that?’ Shamee asked.

‘I’m in need of a new host.’

Tristan frowned. He went to say something but Shamee saw him and shook her head.

‘He’s not after one of us, Tristan,’ she said. ‘He wants a vessel without a mind or soul of its own.’

Tristan looked at the door. ‘You want Mokuba.’

‘Yes,’ the Thief King said. ‘Now, Sharee, open this door.’

Shamee closed her eyes and made to walk towards it. Just as she passed the spirit in Bakura’s body, though, she spun and karate chopped him in the neck, knocking him out cold.   
He dropped to the ground and Tristan came over.

‘I’ll have to find out where you learned that stuff someday.’ He looked down with a thoughtful look on his face. ‘Since the Evil Spirit in that necklace is what’s controlling Bakura, we’ve gotta get rid of the necklace.’ He leaned down and pulled it from Bakura’s neck. ‘So long, Evil Spirit!’ Shamee watched Tristan run to a window, open it and fling the Millennium Ring out into the forest. She knew it wouldn’t help. That thing would just find its way back to its chosen vessel. But whatever helped him sleep at night.

‘And this time, don’t come back!’ Tristan came back. ‘Good riddance.’

***

‘My turn, Yugi-boy.’ Pegasus drew.

_And I’m sure it’s another perfectly prepared move. Hm…If I’m going to win, I have to find a way to keep his Millennium Eye from reading my thoughts._

‘Fat chance!’ Pegasus said. ‘Nothing you do can stop it. Face it, Yugi, you’re at the mercy of my Millennium Eye.’

Yami’s eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth, despite the sweat rolling down his face.

‘Don’t you see?’ Pegasus asked. ‘I already know every card you keep in your deck and have in my possession every card needed to stop them. I can see every strategy your feeble mind has concocted and have already designed my own counter-tactics to render them completely useless. But even without my Millennium Magic, you’re no match for me. After all, who needs magic with this card? Perhaps you’ll remember it.’ He took it from his hand and held it up eagerly before playing it. ‘That’s right, Yugi. It’s the magical Toon World!’ 

The book appeared on the field, shooting up into the air and hovering.

‘I thought as much,’ Yami said. He watched Toon World pull Ryoran and the Red Archery girl into the bindings. The book closed.

‘As you recall, Toon World protects my monsters behind its impenetrable hardback binding,’ Pegasus said. ‘Bindings that they’ll only vacate when they’re about to attack you.’ The book opened and the two monsters appeared on the field in their toon forms. ‘Oh, and seeing how all my monsters have been transformed to their super-powered toon form, it will be an attack that’s certain to leave you in stitches.’ He laughed. ‘What’s the matter, Yugi-boy? Don’t you have a sense of humour?’ He laughed even harder.

Yami growled.

‘Monga Ryoran, attack the monster Yugi has in defensive mode,’ Pegasus ordered. ‘Nasty Nostril Flame Attack!’ The toon Ryoran threw his head back, sucking air in, and then blew it out, sending flames out and destroying the Stone Soldier.

Yami covered his eyes from the flame. When he lowered his arm, he saw the Ryoran lean close to him and snigger before pulling back and disappearing into the book.

‘Looks like your Soldier of Stone couldn’t stand the heat. Aren’t my toons simply marvellous?’ Pegasus flicked his hair back. ‘I can’t help but feel the same proud satisfaction that a parent would. I guess that’s my reward for having created the card.’ He chuckled.

Yami felt a tic near his left eye as he ground his teeth harder. _That cheat. The Toon World card is one of a kind. It was thought too powerful for distribution. That’s how he was able to beat Kaiba with it._

‘And next, I think I’m switch the Toon Mermaid into attack mode,’ Pegasus said. ‘You know, to let her out of her shell.’

Yami looked down at the cards in his hand and then drew. _If I keep throwing my monsters in defence mode, Pegasus’s toons will just keep picking them off._ He looked up. _My only chance is to take the offensive. Maybe by attacking, I can uncover some kind of weakness in these toon monsters._ ‘Celtic Guardian.’ The monster appeared on the field. ‘In attack mode!’ _My Guardian may not pack enough punch to beat that mermaid, but with both their attacks at 1400 she shouldn’t be able to beat him either._ His eyes narrowed. ‘Go, Celtic Guardian! Super-Blade Slash!’ The Celtic Guardian rushed forward and leapt up. As he came down, he brought the sword down on the Mermaid. What Yami really wasn’t expecting was for the clam to spontaneously grow arms and catch the blade before it hit. ‘No way! The clam caught my attack!’

‘The clam caught Yugi’s attack?’ Téa demanded. ‘What’s going on here?’

‘I don’t know, Téa,’ Joey said. ‘That match-up should’ve been a draw.’

Pegasus laughed. ‘Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. I’m afraid that you’re all just going to have to accept the reality of the situation. Yugi’s Guardian is the catch of the day!’ The clam pulled the Guardian forward and then kicked it back across the field. ‘And if there’s one thing I love, besides winning that is, it’s a fish fry!’ The Mermaid aimed with her bow and arrow and shot, destroying him.

‘That was no draw!’ Téa insisted.

‘You’re right,’ Joey stated. ‘Something’s off with those toons!’

Yami ground his teeth. _Okay, well…maybe if I play a stronger card._

‘Afraid not,’ Pegasus said. ‘No card in your deck is strong enough. My toon monsters can’t be beaten by sheer brute force.’ The Mermaid and the clam laughed before they disappeared back into Toon World.

_Then what can I do? Attacking’s useless. That Millennium Eye gives Pegasus access to my every card, thought and strategy. How can I possibly win this duel?_

‘It’s my turn, Yugi-boy.’ Pegasus took cards from his hand. ‘And I think I’ll just lay these two cards face down on the field.’

Yami stared down at the two grid squares that glowed. _Great. More to worry about._ ‘It’s my move now.’ _Hm. With those two cards out, I guess I’ll have to defend. It may cost me a monster, but it’s better than losing life points._ He took a card from his hand and laid it down. ‘I’m throwing a monster in defence mode.’

Pegasus chuckled. ‘I knew you would, Yugi-boy. After all, that’s the reason why I played this card face down.’ He had the card in question in hand.

Yami drew back, tensely.

Pegasus laid it back down, this time face up. ‘Behold the trap known as Gorgon’s Eye!’ It rose out of the floor. ‘I think you’ll find his glance most arresting.’ It was an eye with many snakes coming out of the edges. When the Eye opened, his Horned Imp appeared on the field and was immediately affected.

‘My Imp!’ Yami exclaimed. ‘He’s been turned to stone!’

‘As will every other monster you throw in defensive mode. For the Gorgon’s Eye is a permanent trap.’ The Eye went back into the floor. ‘And you should know that every time I destroy one of his concrete victims, half of their defensive power will be deducted from your life points. Sorry, but there is a bright side to having a set of fossilised monsters, Yugi-boy. They make fine paperweights.’ Pegasus laughed at his own joke.

Yami growled in frustration.

‘Hm,’ Pegasus remarked. ‘Tough crowd. Well, here. Maybe you can learn to lighten up from my second face down card.’ He picked it up enthusiastically. ‘Doppelganger, the Copy Card! Know why he’s grinning, Yugi? Because this little fella loves what he does and does what he loves.’

Yami drew back slightly. _He used this on Kaiba!_

‘Correct, Yugi-boy!’ Pegasus played it. ‘This little rascal can transform himself into any card on the field that I want.’ The tail came out first and wiggled before the rest of him came out comically. He shot up and twirled around Pegasus. ‘Oh! Beg your pardon. Any card that he wants. So which one will it be this time, Doppelganger?’ The monster looked at him and then whispered in his ear. ‘Perfect!’ Pegasus gave the creature a thumb’s up. ‘You always have the best ideas!’ He turned back to him. ‘Well, Yugi-boy, it seems that he would like to transform into that Summoned Skull that I defeated a few turns ago.’

‘My Skull?’ Yami demanded. ‘He’s in my graveyard.’

‘Yes, but your graveyard pile is on the field.’ Both Pegasus and the Doppelganger shook their fingers at him. ‘So it’s fair game for my Doppelganger.’

Yami gasped. He was in more trouble than he’d thought.

Pegasus gestured. ‘Go, my furry friend!’ The Doppelganger shot up, into Toon World. The card on Pegasus’s side changed. ‘It’s really something, isn’t it, Yugi-boy? I can copy one of your monsters, recruit him to my team and turn him into a toon all in one move.’ The book squirmed before opening. ‘And with that, a dark new chapter of Toon World has been written.’ He spread his arms. ‘The chapter of fiends! And he’s our story’s protagonist. Or antagonist, depending upon your point of view.’ A warped version of the Summoned Skull popped out. It stuck out its tongue and shook his head. ‘The Toon Skull!’

On the upper gallery, Yami finally heard Shamee. She made a loud sound of disgust. ‘See now, that’s just wrong!’

Yami had to agree. He growled. ‘What have you done to him?’

‘Nothing compared to what he’s going to do to you!’ Pegasus crowed.

‘You’re twisted, Pegasus,’ Yami insisted. ‘You take such delight in creating such a monstrosity.’

‘Don’t say that,’ Pegasus said. ‘You’ll hurt his feelings. You may not know it but beneath that gruff exterior lies a very sensitive toon.’ The Skull took on a female face and batted its eyelashes.

Yami’s body was nearly shaking in rage. ‘Pegasus, just move!’

‘Whatever you say, Yugi-boy,’ Pegasus said. ‘Toon Skull, Lightning Strike attack!’ The Toon Skull attacked and destroyed the petrified Imp. ‘Your Horned Imp is demolished. And since he was first turned to stone by my mystic Gorgon’s Eye trap, half his defence power is removed from your life points.’

Yami’s life points dropped to 900. The Skull flexed his muscles a few times before going back into Toon World. The book closed.

‘What splendid showmanship!’ Pegasus exclaimed. ‘Wouldn’t you agree, Yugi-boy? Perhaps I’ll coerce him to do an encore a little bit later.’

***

Shamee scowled as she looked over the banister. Behind her, Tristan put Bakura down.

‘What happened?’ asked Joey.

‘We had a bit of an adventure,’ Shamee said, not taking her eyes off the duel.

‘That Evil Spirit took over Bakura again,’ Tristan said.

‘You’d remember it as that dream where there were two of me, two Yugis and everyone was forced to dress as Duel Monsters,’ Shamee explained. ‘But, seriously, three people having exactly the same dream?’

‘Now that you mention it…’ Téa scratched her head. ‘It does seem a little implausible.’

‘A little?’ Shamee asked. She leaned on the banister properly. ‘He’s got Toon World out, eh?’ She raised her voice a little. ‘You can still kick his butt, Yugi!’

***

Yami had heard Shamee’s call. _But how? The magic of Toon World makes it seem impossible._

‘It’s your turn!’ Pegasus called in a sing-song voice.

Yami drew and looked at the card he’d pulled.

Pegasus chuckled. ‘I see you’ve drawn the fabled Dark Magician.’

‘Ah!’ Yami drew back. Then he gritted his teeth.

‘Your favourite card if I’m not mistaken,’ Pegasus went on. ‘His trouncing should be especially painful for you.’ He chuckled. ‘I so look forward to when you put him into play, Yugi-boy.’

 _I don’t know what to do. I can’t even try attacking those toons while they’re inside that magic book._ Yami looked down at his hand. _And the Gorgon’s Eye turns any defence monster I throw to stone. It all just seems so hopeless._

‘It certainly does.’ Pegasus interrupted him. ‘Oh, sorry. Were you just having a private conversation with yourself? I’m so gauche. I really must learn not to keep butting into other peoples’ business. After all, accepting defeat is such a personal matter.’

Yami ground his teeth. He wasn’t going to give in.

‘Don’t you listen to him, Yug!’ Joey called. ‘Remember everything that’s at stake here.’

Tristan continued. ‘Your grandpa, Mokuba, Kaiba.’

‘They’re all counting on you, Yugi,’ Téa reminded him. ‘And we know that you’re going to come through for all of them. You can do it! We believe in you!’

‘Yeah!’ Joey added.

_They’re right. I just have to remember what I’m fighting for here. To save the soul of my grandfather and the souls of both the Kaiba brothers too. I can’t let them down. If I give up hope now, I’ll lose those three forever. Their souls will remain imprisoned in the Shadow Realm and Pegasus will be free to continue his evil ways, with no one to stop him. I can’t let that happen. I can’t give up! As hopeless as it seems, I have to keep battling. I have to save my friends._


	37. Match of the Millennium Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi finds a way to protects himself from the Millennium Eye.

‘Your turn, Yugi-boy,’ Pegasus said. ‘But what’s a poor duellist to do? If you throw your monsters in defence mode, I’ll fossilise them and if you throw them in attack I’ll destroy them.’ He chuckled.

 _He’s right. I’m trapped, unless maybe this combo works._ Yami laid the cards down. ‘I’ll play the Dark Magician in attack mode.’

‘Oo!’ Pegasus mocked him as the Magician appeared on the field. ‘The Dark Magician!’

‘And I also protect him with the Magical Hats.’ The Hats appeared on the field, multiplying and hiding the Magician.

‘Oh, I see,’ Pegasus said.

‘See what?’ Yami demanded.

‘With your feeble attempt to hide your Dark Magician, you’re hoping to stall until you can find a way to overcome my Toon World,’ Pegasus concluded. ‘But it won’t work.’

‘Hm?’

‘Don’t get it? You’re not capable of concealing your secrets from me and those silly Magic Hats won’t help you hide. All I need to do is probe your feeble mind to learn which Hat hides your mage.’

_Oh, rat rot!_

‘Or have you forgotten the power of my Millennium Eye? You might as well surrender now and save yourself the embarrassment of a crushing defeat.’

Yami clenched his hand into a fist.

‘Prepare yourself, Yugi-boy. Here I come!’

 _What can I do? If Pegasus reads my mind, if he learns where the Magician is, I’m finished. There has to be someway I can stop him._ Yami jammed his eyes shut. _There has to be!_

Shamee called from above. ‘Yugi, let me define “dual identity”!’

 _That’s it!_ Yami’s eyes snapped open as Yugi called to him. _Yami, listen to me! Quickly!_

_**Yugi? I can feel Pegasus trying to claw his way into our minds again. I can’t keep him out!** _

_I know, but I have an idea. My grandpa told me that if I wanted to defeat Pegasus, I have to harness the power of my Millennium Puzzle. I thought that he meant that I should merge with you as we usually do. That together we would be triumphant, but now I think I was wrong. Grandpa said to trust in the power of my Millennium Puzzle. He never said anything about you._

They were suddenly standing their Corridor of their Mind.

‘What are you saying, Yugi?’ Yami asked.

‘Yami, if I’m going to have any chance of beating Pegasus, I’m afraid I have to banish you from the corridors of my mind.’

Yami was confused above all. Hadn’t they already gone through this? ‘Yugi, if we don’t work together, we won’t stand a chance.’

‘Maybe not,’ Yugi said. ‘But if we keep playing like we have, we’ll lose.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Listen. Just hear me out. We’re losing because Pegasus can read our mind, because we’re working so close together. That’s wrong. I mean it’s the wrong strategy for us to be using in this particular game. If we keep duelling with our spirits merged, Pegasus’s mind-reading powers will beat us.’ Yugi closed his eyes. ‘And if we lose, everyone loses. But I have another idea.’

‘Well, it had better be a good one. Many lives depend on this.’

‘I know. But I think it will work. I think it will allow us to stop Pegasus from reading our thoughts.’

‘Tell me quickly then. I can feel Pegasus pushing at our mind, trying to probe our thoughts.’

Yugi put his finger to his chin. ‘Okay, this is it. Each time we play a card, Pegasus reads our mind. What if we keep our minds separate.’ He looked up at him. ‘And then switch our minds back and forth.’

‘Switch minds?’ Yami asked. ‘So you’re saying we won’t merge our spirits as we usually do. Instead we keep our thoughts separate, secret, even from each other.’

Yugi nodded.

Not a bad idea. ‘A dangerous move, but it just might work.’

‘All right. Let’s do this!’

***

Shamee smirked as she watched it, as she felt it happen.

‘Toon Summoned Skull,’ Pegasus called. ‘Emerge from the safety of Toon World and attack the Magical Hat on the far left.’ The Skull appeared on the field again and struck, destroying the Hat in question. Pegasus chuckled. ‘The Dark Magician has performed his last trick.’

‘Maybe, Pegasus,’ Yugi said. ‘Or maybe you’re losing your touch.’

Pegasus looked down. ‘What? Yugi-boy’s life points are unaffected? And the Dark Magician card is still on the field. Impossible! I just read his mind. His Magician had to be hidden under that Hat.’

‘Maybe you probed the wrong mind, Pegasus,’ Yugi suggested. ‘One that doesn’t know where the Dark Magician hides.’

‘Huh?’

‘Seriously?’ Shamee demanded. ‘You can read minds and you never ever noticed?’

Pegasus glanced up at her before Yugi called his attention back to him.

‘Or maybe your mind-reading powers aren’t as all-seeing as you think.’

Pegasus’s one real eye widened. ‘You dare mock the awesome powers of my Millennium Eye. You go too far, Yugi-boy.’

Joey blinked. ‘Anybody got any idea what’s going on?’

‘Yes,’ Shamee said quietly. ‘Yugi and me each share our bodies with ancient spirits. This means we have two minds each. He’s swapping between them.’

‘The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle?’ Téa asked.

‘Yes.’

‘You gained nothing from your attack, Pegasus,’ Yugi said. ‘Even with your magic, you won’t be able to win.’ He lifted the gold pyramid around his neck. ‘Because you’re not the only duellist with a Millennium Item. Now let’s see how well your Millennium Eye measures up to my Millennium Puzzle.’

‘Whoa, Yugi,’ Téa said. ‘I sure hope he knows what he’s doing. I mean how much do any of us really know about his Millennium Puzzle?’

Joey grabbed his head. ‘Millennium Puzzle, Millennium Scmuzzle! I just wish I could help him somehow, but no. All I can do is cheer from the sidelines while my best buddy duels his toughest duel all by himself.’

Shamee smiled. ‘He is not alone.’

***

Yugi reached down and drew. ‘I lay this card face down on the field and end my turn.’ He did just that. ‘Pegasus, do you know what the card is that I just pulled and laid on the field?’

‘Huh?’ Pegasus asked.

‘Just use your Millennium Eye to read my mind,’ Yugi said. ‘That is, if you think you can.’

Pegasus gritted his teeth and then composed himself. ‘No problem. You can hide nothing from me.’

Yugi watched the Millennium Eye glow. ‘We’ll see about that.’ He stepped back.

***

Yami smirked as he felt Pegasus probe his mind.

‘What?’ Pegasus demanded. ‘I can’t tell what that hidden card is that you just played.’

Yami chuckled. ‘Sorry, Pegasus, but I don’t know what this face down card is either. Reading my mind will tell you absolutely nothing.’

Pegasus stared in disbelief.

‘You see, Pegasus, I don’t know what this face down card is because I am no longer Yugi Moto but somebody else altogether,’ Yami said. ‘Through the magic of the Millennium Puzzle two minds inhabit this body. Now each time you try to read one of our minds, we’ll use the Mind Shuffle.’

The horrified look on Pegasus’s face was very satisfying.

Yami waited patiently for him to compose himself again. ‘So, still trying to read my mind, Pegasus? Go right ahead.’

Pegasus shook his head. ‘No, thanks, Yugi-boy.’ He drew. ‘My mind-scanning abilities are only one of many skills that I possess and that you need to worry about. Or have you forgotten who invented this game? Besides, I can sense that you’re prepared to switch minds. Yes, you’re ready to switch again the moment I begin to probe your mind. So rather than waste both our time, let’s move on, shall we? You’ve still no defence against my toon monsters and it’s only a matter of time before I figure out which Hat hides your Dark Magician.’ He chuckled.

‘Then pick a Hat,’ Yami said. ‘And we’ll see just how impressive your mastery of Duel Monsters really is.’ He frowned. ‘But I suspect that you’ve relied on the magic of your Millennium Eye for so long that your duelling skills have diminished.’

Pegasus chuckled. ‘Even if your little theory was true, I am still a way far superior duellist to you.’

‘We shall see, Pegasus,’ Yami said. ‘Make your next move.’

‘Toon Summoned Skull.’ Pegasus called for it and it emerged. ‘Attack the middle hat.’ The Lightning Strike crossed the field and destroyed the Hat in question. ‘Did I get him? I think I got him. I must’ve gotten him!’ But there was nothing there. ‘No! I’ve missed again.’

Yami chuckled. ‘What a shame, Pegasus. Another turn wasted. And for my next turn a quick change…

***

‘…is in order.’ Yugi retook control of his body.

Pegasus glared at him. ‘So you’ve switched again?’

‘That’s right, Pegasus.’ Yugi drew. ‘And our Mind Shuffle strategy’s working perfectly.’ _Great! The Living Arrow card could really turn this match around._ ‘So, I’ll just lay this one card face down and I’ll see you later Pegasus.’ They switched again.

***

Yami chuckled. ‘You’re looking frustrated.’ He looked down at the duelling board. _**So, Yugi’s played another card face down. Even though I don’t know what that card is, I have faith in Yugi. And faith in the Heart of the Cards.**_

‘I’m becoming annoyed,’ Pegasus snapped. He drew. ‘Eureka! The card that will devastate your Dark Magician.’ He turned it around. ‘Magical Neutralising Force!’ He threw it down on the field. ‘Activate!’

Yami gasped and watched as the card swept away the Magical Hats.

‘This special card acts to eliminate any and all magic effects currently active on the opponent’s field,’ Pegasus said. ‘Which means the concealing effect of your Magical Hats now disappears.’

‘Oh, no!’ Yami stared as it happened. ‘The Magical Hats are evaporating. The Dark Magician is revealed!’

Pegasus smirked again. ‘It’s all over for him and your life points! You can only watch as I savour my final victory. Does your heart grow cold knowing that your demise is only moments away?’

Yami gritted his teeth.

‘Come on out, Toon Summoned Skull!’ Pegasus called. ‘Show him the face of victory!’

“The face of victory” was apparently a wide-tongued raspberry and a vapid child’s head shake. Yami stared at the field, trying to think. _**No! His toon monsters are virtually unstoppable and my Dark Magician is totally unprotected. There’s nothing I can do. Unless…**_

Pegasus called his attack. ‘Toon Summoned Skull, attack the Dark Magician! Lightning Strike attack!’ The warped beast attacked. ‘Devastate his Dark Magician!’

Yami gritted his teeth. _**I don’t have a move, but Yugi might!**_

***

‘Pegasus!’ Yugi called.

Pegasus gritted his teeth.

‘I defend my Magician with the card I played face down.’ Yugi flipped his card up. ‘The magic card, Living Arrow!’

‘What?’ Pegasus demanded. ‘Your hidden card is the Living Arrow?’

‘That’s right,’ Yugi said. ‘That is my secret card. And since you’re the creator of Duel Monsters, you must know all about the Living Arrow card. And how it can fuse with any card an opponent might put into play and it doesn’t matter whether that card is a monster card or a magic card.’

Yugi slipped back.

***

Yami slid forward, taking control of the body. ‘We’ve thwarted your mind-reading magic and now we’re going to use your very own magic card against you. Pegasus, I use the Living Arrow card to fuse with your Magical Neutralising card and fire it right back at Toon World!’ The arrow shot forward and the book evaporated.

Pegasus gasped for a second and then said, ‘It doesn’t matter. Because it’s already too late for you to stop my Summoned Skull attack.’ The attack was dangerously close to the Dark Magician. It slammed into something, but it wasn’t what Pegasus thought it was. ‘Your Dark Magician is vanquished.’

Yami switched over.

***

‘Sorry, Pegasus!’ Yugi called.

‘Huh?’

‘You’ve forgotten my other down card.’ Yugi held it up. ‘It’s a trap card. And it’s one of my favourites. Mirror Force!’ He laid it back down on the field, this time face up.

Pegasus drew back in surprise. The Lightning Strike hit the barrier and bounced.

Yugi smiled triumphantly. ‘It deflects back Summoned Skulls attack and since the other card neutralised the magic that made your other cards untouchable, your toon monsters return to their original form and appear on the field, just in time to catch the blast!’

Pegasus cried out as all of his monsters were destroyed. ‘It’s impossible! I can’t believe you’ve destroyed all my beloved toons. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no! This is a nightmare. A bad dream. This can’t truly be happening.’ He let out a long cry.

Yugi grinned. ‘We did it! All the toons are destroyed.’

_**Yes. And it was your plan, Yugi. I’m very proud of you.** _

Pegasus’s life points dropped. Croquet made his announcement. ‘The score stands at Yugi – 900. Pegasus – 600.’ He paused. ‘Uh…sorry, sir.’

Pegasus ground his teeth.

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘You’re in the lead, Yug!’

‘Yugi.’ Pegasus suddenly called his attention. ‘I’m impressed.’

‘Huh?’ Yugi stared in confusion. What was he doing now?

‘When I first met you, you were just another boy,’ Pegasus said. ‘You showed some faint duelling promise. With my gentle guidance…well, just look at you now. You’re one step away from becoming World Champion. You’ve been to the Shadow Realm and back and, most importantly, you’ve finally begun to master the power of your Millennium Puzzle. And, you see, Yugi-boy, for me, that’s what this whole tournament has been about.’ He lifted his head and displayed his Millennium Eye. ‘For I plan to take possession of your Puzzle.’ A darkness was beginning to appear around them.

‘My Puzzle?’ Yugi demanded.

_**No!** _

‘Yes. You and I will finish this contest in the Shadow Realm, Yugi,’ Pegasus said. ‘And this time, it’s winner take all.’


	38. Match of the Millennium Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pegasus moves the duel into the Shadow Realm.
> 
> It's a fight for Yugi just to survive.

Shamee ground her teeth as she watched the Shadow Bubble appear over the duelling arena. She was at a bad position to launch herself down so she’d be in it too. She heard Pegasus’s last words before the bubble consumed them.

‘I will defeat you, in one realm or another, Yugi!’

‘Where’d they go?’ Téa asked.

‘That’s a Shadow Bubble,’ Shamee said. ‘It means the arena has been shifted to the Shadow Realm.’

‘The Shadow Realm?’ Tristan asked. ‘You mean that place the Evil Spirit took us?’

‘Yes,’ Shamee said. ‘The only reason Pegasus would have taken them into there would be…’ She paused, thinking. There was only one explanation.

‘Would be…?’ Joey pressed.

Shamee frowned. ‘Would be to overwhelm Yugi’s mind so the Mind Shuffle doesn’t work.’ She glanced at Bakura. ‘He’ll be fine here.’ She started walking. ‘Let’s get down there!’

‘Pronto!’ Joey insisted.

‘But how can we help Yugi when we can’t even see him?’ Téa demanded as they followed Shamee.

Shamee glanced at her over her shoulder. ‘That does not concern Pegasus.’

***

Yugi looked around nervously. _This place always gives me the creeps. Whenever Pegasus brings me here, it only means one thing._ Yugi and Yami spoke at the same time. ‘A Shadow Game.’

‘You’ll find your experience in the Shadow Realm this time around will be a lot harder than your last,’ Pegasus said. ‘The strain of maintaining your Mind Shuffle will make it more difficult for you to mentally conjure up your monsters.’

As he said it, Yugi registered the truth. _He’s right. I feel weak._

 _ **I’ll take over, Yugi.**_ Yami seized control of the body.

***

‘I think I’m strong enough,’ Yami said. ‘So let’s finish out duel now.’ He drew. _**You’ll be safer if you let me handle Pegasus, Yugi. I can survive in this Realm easier than you.**_

_But we can’t abandon our strategy. It was the only thing keeping Pegasus from reading our minds!_

Yami gritted his teeth. _**You’re right. It’s the only reason we have our narrow lead.**_

Pegasus drew and chuckled. ‘For my next brilliant move, I play my Dark Eyes Illusionist in attack mode.’ A purple aura surrounded him and the beast appeared. ‘And did I tell you? It’s a monster I created just for this game?’

Yami’s eyes widened.

‘And, don’t forget, in this realm it’s as real as you are!’

‘I can see that,’ Yami said.

‘Oh, I know he looks formidable.’ Pegasus gushed over his beast. ‘But what sort of a threat could he be to you? He has zero attack points and zero defence points. Of course, since it’s a monster you’ve never seen before today, you have no way of knowing its hidden secrets. And I have been known to keep a few tricks up my sleeve from time to time, right, Yugi?’ He laughed to himself.

Yami’s eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t know what secrets your Dark Eyes Illusionist holds but I’m certain it’s not as harmless as you would like me to believe. I’m sure it’s quite dangerous.’

‘Yugi, you’re so suspicious.’ Pegasus laughed.

‘I’ll lay my Curse of Dragon on the field.’ Yami set the card. ‘Dragon, come forth!’ A vortex appeared next to him and the Dragon flew our. It settled next to the Dark Magician.

 _We’ve got to keep Pegasus off balance!_ Yugi insisted. _We’ve got to keep switching our minds._

_**All right, Yugi.** Yami allowed the switch._

_***_

_Yugi’s weakness returned as soon as he retook control over his body._

_‘I don’t think you have it in you, Yugi-boy.’ Pegasus mocked him. ‘You now have two creatures to maintain. Your Curse of Dragon and your Dark Magician.’_

_The strain was even more taxing than before but he needed to do this. He muttered to himself. ‘This is so hard. The strain…it hurts!’ He panted for breath. _It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Whole world is spinning.__

__**Yugi, if this is too much for you, you should let me take over.** _ _

_Yugi caught himself on the duelling board. ‘Give me a minute. I just want to try to last out this turn.’_

_***_

_The four of them stared at the Bubble. Téa suddenly slapped her hands over her heart._

_Joey looked at her. ‘You felt it too, huh?’_

_‘Yeah, a sharp jolt right in my heart,’ Téa said. ‘Along with the strangest feeling that something bad has happened to Yugi!’_

_‘Tell me about it, Téa.’ Joey agreed. ‘I think that our little buddy’s in big trouble.’_

_Tristan spoke gently. ‘I know.’_

_Joey and Téa turned to her._

_‘You felt it too?’ Joey asked._

_‘Yeah.’_

_‘We all felt it,’ Shamee said._

_‘Maybe it’s because we’ve all become so tight but it’s like we’ve developed some kind of weird link with him.’_

_Joey looked back at the Bubble. ‘For sure.’_

_‘Yeah, but…’ Téa stared. ‘If we’re feeling what he’s feeling, it must be really bad in there.’_

_‘If only there was some way we could help him,’ Joey said._

_‘I think I’m the only one who can.’ Shamee stepped up to the Bubble. She drew her focus in and the eye of her Millennium Bandanna glowed._

_***_

_Yugi watched Pegasus take a card from his hand. ‘You’re looking a little pale, Yugi. Maybe you should give up your Mind Shuffle strategy. Take a breather.’_

_‘Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?’ The familiar voice came from behind him._

_Pegasus looked up, past him, and stared in disbelief. Yugi, though in great pain, turned. Standing a few feet behind him was Sharee…no. No, it was Shamee. The expression on the face gave her away. She smirked and tapped her Bandanna._

_‘Millennium Item.’ She walked forward. ‘Even if it’s not one of the original ones, it still works.’ Shamee stopped right behind Yugi and laid her hand on his shoulder. He felt a surge of energy and it was suddenly easier to handle the stress of this Realm. The pain wasn’t gone completely but it did make it more tolerable._

__**I’m glad she thought of that, but I better take over now.** _ _

_As they switched, Shamee dropped her hand._

_***_

_Yami looked across at Pegasus. ‘I’ll use my turn to attack with Curse of Dragon!’ The Dragon attacked._

_Pegasus smiled. ‘Your attack activates Dark Eyes Illusionist’s special ability.’ The head of his monster turned around and light exploded from it. ‘Mesmerising Magic!’_

__**He stopped him.** _ _

_‘To make up for Dark Eyes non-existent attack and defence points, I endowed him with a special ability,’ Pegasus explained. ‘Dark Eyes Illusionist can use the power of its mesmeric eye to paralyse attacking monsters in their tracks. With such a good monster at my disposal, what could my next brilliant move be?’_

_Yami gritted his teeth. ‘Just play it.’_

_‘As you wish.’ Pegasus turned his card over. ‘Believe it or not, I’m going to use the Black Illusion ritual card and sacrifice my incredible Dark Eyes.’ He gasped. ‘Has he gone insane, you might ask, sacrificing a monster that can paralyse any monster I play?’ The ritual jars appeared and activated. ‘No. I’m merely using this ceremony to create an even better monster.’ Pegasus laughed and raised his arms as the energy from the jars caused his hair to fly up. ‘I hereby sacrifice Dark Eyes Illusionist…’ The monster was sucked into the main jar. ‘…to summon another spell-caster monster. Yes, there’s more!’ The entire ritual podium morphed into the monster in question, some humanoid but round and shelled beast. ‘The incredible, extraordinary, unforgettable creature known only Relinquished! Quite a looker, huh?’_

_‘What kind of monster can this be?’ Yami asked. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’_

_‘I’ll show you,’ Pegasus said. ‘By activating its special power!’ The eye glowed and the mouth at the lower part opened. ‘It’s even more irresistible than my previous creature.’ A vacuum started up and the Curse of Dragon was sucked into it._

_‘Oh, no. My Curse of Dragon!’_

_The mouth closed as the Dragon vanished inside. ‘Gone but not forgotten.’_

_Yami growled. ‘Dark Magician, go now. Attack Relinquished! Dark Magic attack!’ The Dark Magician leapt forward and attacked._

_‘Relinquished, activate your defence shield!’ Pegasus ordered. The shell came down just as the Magician attacked and Yami’s Curse of Dragon appeared in Relinquished. It was hit instead._

_‘Oh, no!’ Yami worked it out fast. ‘It’s using my captured Curse of Dragon as a shield against the attack!’ His Dragon was destroyed._

_‘The Dark Magician’s attack eliminates Curse of Dragon from the game!’ Pegasus gloated._

_Yami’s life points fell to 400._

_‘But since he was your creature, you lose the life points,’ Pegasus said. ‘By absorbing its opponent’s monsters, Relinquished can use them, and their attack and defence points, to protect against any attacking monster.’ The shell arms rose up again. ‘And Relinquished remains unharmed while the opponent suffers the damage! Your own attack reduced your life points. As long as I have Relinquished in play, you’re your own worst enemy.’ He smirked and folded his arms. ‘Oo. How frustrating it must be to be you! You know you have all these great monsters in your deck and if you dare play any of them, they will be used against you.’_

_‘This game’s not over yet, Pegasus!’ Yami stated._

_‘No, but it might as well be.’ Pegasus drew. ‘My monster’s unstoppable. Watch! I activate Relinquished’s hypnotic attraction!’ The light shot out of the eye and hit the Dark Magician. It slowly absorbed him. ‘Try as he might to resist, your Dark Magician will find my spell-caster as irresistible as your Dragon did. Like your Dragon, he’ll soon be mine.’_

_‘No, my Dark Magician!’ Yami watched his Magician vanish into the beast. ‘It captured him too.’ The shell closed and the Dark Magician appeared on the side. Yami ground his teeth. ‘And now it’s turned him into another defence shield.’_

_Pegasus chuckled. ‘That’s right, Yugi. You’re beginning to catch on. And this time I’ve got one of your most powerful monsters to use against you. Not to mention, your personal favourite. In an attack, he’ll take your life points all the same. Guess you’re not his favourite. Not anymore.’_

__**How can I possibly win? Any monster I use will be turned against me.** _ _

_Yami heard Shamee growl in annoyance behind him. Obviously whatever she had in mind was not something Sharee was willing to live with._

__**Even if I come up with another strategy, Pegasus will know it instantly.** _ _

_Yugi suddenly spoke. _We can’t give up. We have to Mind Shuffle long enough for me to play a card and then retreat before Pegasus can read my mind. It worked before. It’ll work again.__

_But before they’d been in their own Realm. _ **Are you sure you’re up to this? We don’t know how long you can last in the Shadow Realm.**__

__I don’t have to last long. Just long enough to pull one last card._ _

_Yami didn’t like the sound of that “last”. _ **But if you reach the limits of your endurance, your soul will be shredded, dispersed in the Shadow Realm for all eternity.**__

__Whatever the risk, I have to take it._ Yugi was certainly brave. Most would hear that and either back down or hesitate. _For grandpa’s sake. We both have to trust in the Heart of the Cards.__

_Yami reluctantly stepped back and allowed Yugi back control of his body._

_***_

_As soon as Yugi was in control again, Shamee’s hand clasped his shoulder. Once again she lent him her strength. But he still stumbled. He didn’t have much time. ‘I’ve…I’ve got to play fast.’ He reached for his deck. _I’ve got to have faith in the Heart of the Cards, because the next card I pull…might be my last._ His vision was blurring. _Please, make it one that can defeat Pegasus. Please!_ Yugi drew and laid it down. _It’s all up to Yami now._ ‘Pegasus, I play one card face down.’ Hand shaking, he pulled a monster card out. ‘And for my last move, I throw Feral Imp in defence mode.’ The monster appeared on the field. _At least now…there’s one card that Pegasus doesn’t know about. Now maybe we stand a chance.__

_Pegasus called out. ‘Relinquished, prepare to attack! Use the Dark Magician’s power.’ His monster drew power from his Dark Magician, who cried out in pain, and then it gathered in the eye. ‘Filtered Power Attack! Destroy the Feral Imp.’ The attack shot forward._

_As the Feral Imp was destroyed, Yugi felt pain rip along his every nerve ending. ‘My Feral Imp!’ He felt strong hands supporting him._

__**Yugi, switch now, quickly!**_ Yugi would have but his knees buckled and he fell. The last thing he heard was, _**Yugi? Yugi!**__

_Yugi just had one thing to say. ‘Yami. You’ve got…to beat Pegasus…’_

_***_

_Téa gasped. She heard Joey and Tristan cry out too. Téa put her hands to her head. ‘Feel that?’ she asked before lowering her hands. ‘Something happened to Yugi just now.’_

_Joey looked at her. ‘I know. But what?’_

_‘Whatever it was, it felt devastating,’ Tristan said._

_Téa’s fear began to overwhelm her. ‘He…he’s hurt. Or worse!’_

_***_

_Sharee and Shamee stood in the Mind Neutral Ground, as Sharee had dubbed it, the place in the shared mind-space where both spirits and their hosts could all communicate. It’d been created when Sharee and Yugi had united their minds. They watched as Yami knelt over Yugi and shook him. But the boy seemed to be gone from them. His skin was paler than usual, heavy bags were under his closed eyes and his body was slack._

_‘Yugi?’ Yami called. ‘Yugi?’ He didn’t look up at them, but he still spoke. ‘I can’t sense his spirit. I can no longer feel the presence of his young mind.’ He shook him again. ‘No, he…he can’t be gone.’ This boy had been his responsibility and he’d…he’d failed him._

_Pegasus’s voice echoed around them. ‘Forget him. The boy was too weak. It takes a person with true fortitude to cope with the harsh unrealities of the Shadow Realm. Face it, Yugi is gone and it’s just you and me now.’_

_‘No,’ Shamee said. ‘I can feel his heart signature.’_

_Yami looked up at her. ‘What?’_

_Shamee nodded once. ‘It’s very faint, but it’s there.’_

_***_

_Joey stared at the Bubble. ‘I’m telling you, I’m getting creeped out. One minute I was feeling Yugi like he was right here beside me, and then the next…’_

_‘He was gone.’ Tristan finished the thought. ‘I felt it too.’_

_‘Yugi!’ Téa yelled and suddenly ran forward._

_‘Téa, don’t!’ Joey called._

_It turned out to be unnecessary because she appeared in front of them as soon as she ran in the Bubble. She looked just as surprised he felt._

_‘What happened?’ he asked._

_‘Uh, I’m not sure.’ Téa went back over to the Bubble, more slowly this time. She put her hand in. The part she put in came out a couple of inches over. Téa cried out in alarm and drew her hand back._

_‘So what’ll we do now?’ Joey asked._

_‘Stand back. There’s gotta be some way in.’ Tristan charged at it. He didn’t come out again that Joey saw._

_‘Tristan, where are you?’ Joey called._

_‘Yell if you can hear us!’ Téa added._

_Tristan’s voice came back. ‘Somehow, I just passed through it.’ He came back and stopped in front of them._

_‘What happened?’ Téa asked._

_Joey could guess. ‘No good, huh?’_

_Tristan looked up at it. ‘Sharee must’ve been able to get in because of her Millennium Bandanna. Whatever this Shadow Bubble is, it’s clear Pegasus designed it to keep Yugi in and us outside.’_

_Not good, but he was probably right about how Sharee got in. ‘I just can’t believe our best friend’s in the worst jam ever and there’s nothing we can do to help him.’ Joey punched his hand and growled._

_***_

_Yami quickly took control of the body. He opened his eyes from where Yugi had slumped and rose to his feet. ‘You used your underhanded tactics to overwhelm Yugi’s mind. You will pay for what you did.’_

_Pegasus was remorseless. He chuckled. ‘So I take it, from this emotional outburst, that you’re having a difficult time acknowledging the fact that you failed in your self-appointed duty to protect your little duelling protégé. Whoever you are, perhaps Yugi would’ve been better off without your interference. Hm?’_

_‘Mind your manners.’_

_This time Yami looked to the right. He knew who it was anyway. He recognised the voice. The woman and the little boy were walking out of the Shadows, from where they had likely been watching the whole thing. The boy skipped ahead of his mother and came to stand by Yami’s side._

_‘Oh, you again.’ Pegasus closed his eyes carelessly._

_‘Be silent,’ Yami ordered him. ‘For what you have done, I will show you no mercy.’_

_‘Then let the game continue,’ Pegasus said. ‘It’s your turn.’_

_Yami drew._

_‘You no longer have Yugi to help you,’ Pegasus said. ‘Once more, your mind is an open book to me. The card you drew is Winged Dragon and Guardian of the Fortress, a weak monster.’ He was smiling self-assuredly._

_The woman scoffed. ‘I wouldn’t say that.’_

_Yami shot her a small smile but then glared at Pegasus. _ **Pegasus read my mind, so now he knows all the cards in my hand. The only card he doesn’t know is the one Yugi left on the field. I have no way of knowing if that’s a card that could tip the duel in my favour.**_ He laid the card down. ‘I play the Winged Dragon in defence mode.’ A vortex appeared next to him and the monster pulled itself out before settling on the field. ‘It’s your move.’_

_‘Destroying your defence monster won’t affect your life points, but I’ll do it just for fun. Relinquished, destroy the Winged Dragon.’ Relinquished drained the power from the Dark Magician again – in the corner of his eye, Yami saw the woman wince while her son flinched against him – and used its power to destroy the Winged Dragon. Pegasus beamed. ‘Ah, that was fun!’ Pegasus drew. ‘Now, the card of your final defeat.’ He played his card. ‘Your time’s run out.’ A vortex appeared over Pegasus’s head and a small time bomb monster dropped down onto the field._

_Yami knew the monster. ‘Giken-Bokwudon, the infamous time bomb!’_

_‘Yes,’ Pegasus said. ‘Giken-Bokwudon is a self-destructing monster that’s immune to attacks.’ He held up his hand. ‘In just two turns, it will explode and destroy my beloved Relinquished.’_

_The boy leaned up curiously. ‘Why blow up your own monster?’_

_The woman knew the answer. ‘Because it would also destroy the Dark Magician.’_

_‘And Relinquished?’ Pegasus smiled. ‘His attack power is zero.’_

_‘Meaning your life points won’t be affected at all.’ Yami finished the explanation._

_‘That’s right,’ Pegasus said. ‘While my score is unaffected, the explosion will wipe out the Dark Magician. And his attack points will be deducted directly from your life points, ending the game.’_

__**And it’ll destroy any hope I have of rescuing Yugi’s grandpa, Kaiba and Mokuba.**_ Yami ground his teeth._

_Pegasus continued his gloating. ‘Face it, the clock is ticking down on your demise and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. I just can’t remember the last occasion I had so much fun. Remember, only two turns left until ka-boom!’_

_Yami scrutinised his cards._

_‘And you don’t have a single card in your hand that can help you.’ Pegasus continued on, relentless. ‘Trust me, I know.’ He chuckled._

__**What am I going to do? Even if I draw a new card, Pegasus’s Millennium Eye will let him read my mind and see exactly what card I’ve drawn.** _ _

_‘That’s right,’ Pegasus said. ‘As long as I can read your mind, you can do nothing against me. You’ve lost. The game is over.’_

_The woman made a loud sceptical sound in her throat. ‘You obviously don’t know who you’re duelling.’_


	39. Match of the Millennium Part V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi's final move with prove to be the deciding factor in this duel.

‘This is awful!’ Téa insisted helplessly. ‘When that Bubble first appeared, even though I couldn’t see Yugi, I could still somehow sense him. But now…’

‘I know!’ Joey said. ‘It’s like we’ve been cut off from him.’

‘Or maybe…’ Tristan came up with another, more disturbing, theory. ‘Maybe he’s been cut off from us.’

***

_**That Bokwudon detonator is set to go off in just two more turns. But with Yugi gone from us, he can no longer help me keep Pegasus from reading minds.** _

‘Yugi is still with you.’

Yami felt himself shift. He knew that on one hand he was still standing at the duelling platform, but his mind was elsewhere. He was standing over Yugi’s prone form and looking across at a vaguely familiar old man.

‘You must be…?’ Yami trailed off.

‘Yugi’s grandpa,’ the man said. He laid his hand over his heart. ‘And, believe me, his heart is still in this.’

It came together in Yami’s head. ‘That’s what Shamee sensed. But…but how can that be? I thought he was…’

‘You thought only what your eyes showed you,’ Yugi’s grandfather said as he drifted away. ‘The unshakable devotion of Yugi’s friends keeps his spirit alive.’

‘His friends? Of course!’ _**They haven’t given up on him.**_

Yami was pulled back out by a tug on his jacket. He looked down to the little boy and when he spoke, it was in an ancient tongue. One that Yami had no problem understanding.   
Yami then looked at the woman. She smiled and leaned over, tapping his head just like she did the last time he was duelling Pegasus in the Shadow Realm.

Yami invoked the power of the Millennium Puzzle. But he felt additional power coming from elsewhere.

***

‘There’s gotta be something we can do! We can’t lose him.’ Téa suddenly worked it out. ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea.’

Both of the boys turned to her. ‘Huh?’

‘Yugi reached out to us,’ Téa said. ‘So we have to try reaching out to him in the same way. Remember the friendship pact we made?’

Tristan grinned. ‘Yeah.’

‘I sure do!’ Joey was grinning as well.

‘We said we’d always be there for each other,’ Tristan stated.

‘Right,’ Téa said. ‘If we concentrate our energies and try to reach him with all our might…’

‘Then maybe our bond of friendship can get through to him even in the Shadow Realm!’ Joey finished the thought. ‘Let’s give it a try!’

‘Okay,’ Téa said as they put their hands together. ‘Together now! Think hard. We can do this. I know we can!’

‘Come on, Yug!’ Tristan called.

‘All of us are here for you!’ Joey added.

Téa finished it. ‘Yugi, we believe in you! And even though we may not be able to see just what’s going on in there, we’ll help you stop Pegasus’s cheating and get both you and Sharee back here safely.’

***

Shamee heard them and she didn’t doubt Yami did too. Their energies broke through into the Shadow Realm but were directionless. They just needed a little more help. With very little effort on her part, Shamee guided the energies of their friends to help guard Yami’s mind.

‘Here’s my move.’ Yami drew his card and looked at it.

Pegasus smirked widely. ‘Then let’s take a look!’ He laughed.

The Millennium Eye glowed brightly and Shamee felt him using the power. But she also knew he’d hit a wall. The four of them waited patiently with calm faces as Pegasus attempted to read Yami’s mind. Pegasus’s smirk widened. So he still hadn’t worked it out.

_**Brilliant, my foot.** _

The little boy looked up and around curiously. Then a smile played across his face but he didn’t reach out. He stayed right there as if Yami was his father. Shamee soon saw what he was looking at. Their friends, along with the unconscious Yugi, were appearing around them.

The look of shock on Pegasus’s face when he did realise what was going on was more than merely “worth it”. ‘Oh, no! Impossible! Inconceivable!’ The denial was deeply amusing as well. ‘My Millennium Eye! It’s being blocked! This can’t be! My Millennium Powers are totally unstoppable!’

‘You’d like to think as much, wouldn’t you?’ The woman smirked at him. ‘But of the original seven Millennium Items, there was one ultimate one and six subordinates. Your Eye was one of the six. The Millennium Puzzle wasn’t. As a matter of fact, it belonged to the Pharaoh.’ She paused. ‘And we didn’t even need the Millennium Items to summon creatures or enter the Shadow Realm.’

‘Not only that,’ Shamee said. She stepped forward, closer to them and completing the united front they had. ‘But the friends of these vessels, and these friends of ours, are also extending their energies and assisting the Puzzle in keeping you out.’

‘But…’ Pegasus turned his gaze to both of the women, staring at each of their young faces, before looking back at Yami. He shook his head in denial to what was happening. ‘I should be able to scan your every thought and strategy! I should be able to see every card in your deck! You don’t have nearly enough experience and power to do this!’

‘On the contrary,’ Shamee said. ‘As I have been bonded to the Bandanna for five thousand years, he has been trapped in that Puzzle. We fought in the original Shadow Games.’  
Joey’s spoke first. ‘So get out of his mind and stay out!’

Pegasus drew back in shock.

Yami smiled around at all of them, including the two spirits trapped in this realm. ‘Thank you. Together we can stand strong against him.’

Pegasus was gritting his teeth in anger and growling.

Téa was next to speak up from where she was holding up Yugi. ‘Pegasus, you just don’t get it!’

Sharee was next to speak with narrowed eyes. ‘Power isn’t all about what you can hold over other people.’

‘You think your Eye makes all the difference,’ Joey said.

‘But you’re wrong.’ Tristan finished the statement. ‘Friends do.’

The woman smiled knowingly and leaned on the side of Yami’s duelling platform. She made her own statement. ‘The only power you get from trapping souls in this Realm are dark powers, it’s evil and inferior. The true stuff comes from the emotions in the carrier’s heart.’

***

Yami looked back at him. ‘That’s right. And thanks to all of them, I can save my Magician from the blast of you Bokwudon detonator.’ Not currently needed, the images of Yugi,   
Sharee, Tristan, Téa and Joey disappeared.

Pegasus was shaking in anger. ‘You can not. My detonator will win this duel for me despite your pathetic little friends.’

‘Wrong!’ Yami snapped. ‘Because now that these friends are working with me on a whole new level, this is a whole new game.’

Pegasus growled.

‘Now,’ Yami said. ‘Prepare yourself Pegasus, because with Yugi’s friends and my Millennium Puzzle preventing you from seeing the cards I pull, you’ll just have to take them as they come. And for this turn, they don’t come any better than this!’ Yami slapped the card down. ‘Go, Mystic Box!’

One box appeared around Giken-Bokwudon and the other appeared around the Dark Magician. They switched places and when the first one opened, the Dark Magician leapt from it and returned to his place in front of Yami.

‘The magic of my Mystic Box frees my Magician and puts you Bokwudon detonator in his place,’ Yami said. The other Box vanished, leaving the detonator in Relinquished.

‘No!’ Pegasus cried. ‘Now its blast will only destroy Relinquished!’ His eyes narrowed. ‘No fair!’

‘Hm.’ Yami just smirked at him.

Behind him, Shamee sniggered. ‘Sore loser, isn’t he?’

Pegasus drew. ‘I pass. There’s nothing I can do.’

‘Very well. My move then.’ Yami drew and smirked.

Pegasus looked worried.

Yami played the card. ‘Go, Brain Control!’

‘No! Then Relinquished will be…’ Pegasus stopped.

The Hands appeared in the air and reached down, taking away Pegasus’s prized monster. ‘Brainwashed. Under my control from one whole turn.’ It was placed on Yami’s side of the field. ‘How does it feel, Pegasus, to have the tables turned and the magical power of mind control used against you?’

Pegasus looked at the Bokwudon detonator with a worried expression. But that only lasted for a few moments. He slowly smirked and then he started laughing. Yami scowled. The boy at his side slid behind him a little more.

‘What’s he so happy about?’ the woman asked.

‘Go ahead and take Relinquished, you fool!’ Pegasus told him in a loud, triumphant voice. ‘That detonator you attached to him is set to go off this turn. It’ll blast your Magician and deplete your life points!’

Oh, that’s what he was laughing about. ‘You’re wrong, Pegasus.’

‘Huh?’ Pegasus asked.

‘Remember…’ Yami picked up the face down card on the field. ‘…I still have one more card out. The card that took the last bit of Yugi’s courage to play. And now it’s time to find out what it is.’ He turned it around and slapped it down.

Pegasus looked. ‘It’s a ritual card!’

‘Dark Magic Ritual!’ The pots and the podium of the ritual appeared on the field. ‘And to invoke its great powers, I must make a double offering. So I offer your Giken-Bokwudon and the Dark Magician.’ The two monsters disappeared off the field.

Pegasus stared as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A purple vortex shot up out of the podium and spanned over the entire sky on his side of the field. It turned into dark purple clouds. Yami opened his eyes as this happened.

‘The offering has been accepted,’ he said. ‘A new power is brought forth. Now, Pegasus, behold!’ The newly summoned monster descended through the clouds. ‘The Magician of Black Chaos!’

Pegasus stared at it, face pale. Quite clearly, he’d heard of the Chaos Mage that was now landing gently on the field but he had never really seen him. And he hadn’t wanted to face him in a duel either.

‘You may have succeeded in putting Yugi out of commission,’ Yami said. ‘But not before his final courageous act set the stage for the greatest magician in all of Duel Monsters! And with the Magician of Black Chaos, I will avenge my fallen friend. Face it, Pegasus, you’re through! No card in your deck can save you now. Yugi’s last act of courage will finish you.’

Pegasus stared at the field and what modern popular culture called a slasher smile crossed his face. It was a look that their visual fiction – TV shows and the like – put on the faces of antagonists who got particularly nasty ideas. Yami knew what he was thinking, even without a Millennium Eye. And he already had the perfect defence for it.

‘You know I think you’re right about that Chaos mage,’ Pegasus said. ‘I think he will bring about the end of this match. And a lot sooner than you may think!’ He paused only for a moment. ‘We’ll see.’

‘We will indeed!’ Yami took a card from his hand. ‘Now, to complete my strategy I play this.’ He laid the card down and their friends flashed across it, indicating Pegasus’s failed attempt to read it.

Pegasus growled.

‘And also one monster card in defensive mode.’ Yami laid it face down on the field. That should do it. He had no doubt as to what Pegasus was about to attempt to do. ‘That ends my turn.’

Pegasus gritted his teeth harder before he spoke. ‘It’s my turn now. And the effects of your turn are over. Now, your Brain Control spell has expired. Relinquished is back where he belongs: with his daddy!’ He chuckled.

The little boy’s grip on him tightened and he sniffled for some reason. Though he didn’t know what it was, Yami laid his hand on the child’s head. It was a small comfort but it seemed to reassure the boy.

Pegasus went on. ‘And even with your two mystery cards out on the field, I think you’ll find that he’s just as effective as ever.’

Yami’s eyes narrowed.

Pegasus took two cards from his hand. ‘If you think you have Relinquished all figured out, think again.’ He played them both. ‘Because I’m using my Polymerisation to fuse him with Thousand Eyes Idle.’ He lifted his head. ‘Now, prepare yourself for the ultimate merged monster! Oh, yes.’ Closed eyes began to take form all over Relinquished and squirmed as they did so. ‘Behold my beauty.’ The eyes had formed and began to open. ‘With the Thousand Eyes Idle and Relinquished fused together, I’ve created the one, the only, the Thousand Eyes Restrict!’ It now looked like some kind of horrid monstrosity. ‘He’s quite a looker, eh?’

The little boy, the woman and Shamee all made sounds of disgust. Yami gasped. He’d never seen anything quite like that beast before.

Pegasus continued gloating. ‘If you think he’s a real stunner now, well, just wait until all one thousand of his eyes open up. Then I think you’ll find that he’s much more than just a pretty face.’ He laughed maniacally. ‘The end is truly “in sight”, wouldn’t you say?’

Yami growled. ‘Not with my Chaos mage protecting me.’

Pegasus chuckled. ‘Oh, I think you’ll find that once all eyes are on your Magician of Black Chaos, he won’t even be able to protect himself.’ He laughed. ‘Oh, trust me. You’ll see what I mean very shortly.’

Yami stared across at this new monster and pressed his lips together. _**I may not know what Pegasus is planning to do with that monstrosity of his, but whatever it may be, I can’t let it happen. Not after the tremendous act of bravery Yugi made to give us a fighting chance against Pegasus.**_ Yami remembered how it happened and gritted his teeth. _**Yugi risked everything to give me this chance. I can’t let his last heroic effort be in vain.**_ ‘Pegasus, you can do your worst but this duel will be won by the card Yugi picked in his final act of courage!’

‘We’ll see about that,’ Pegasus said and then he called out to his creature. ‘Thousand Eyes Restrict, time to open your peepers!’ All thousand eyes slowly opened, wide like the eyes of a person who’d just gotten a substantial shock.

Yami called out to his own monster. ‘Chaos mage, prepare yourself! Try to hold him off.’

‘There is nothing you can do to hold this attack off!’ Pegasus crowed confidently. ‘For now I unleash the Thousand Eyes Spell!’ Each and every eye glowed, paralysing the Chaos mage.

‘My Chaos mage!’

Pegasus chuckled. ‘Is trapped by the mystic gaze of my ultimate beast.’ He held up the card. ‘And don’t think you can rescue him. There’s no escape from the eyes whose mesmeric gaze blankets your field. Even the monsters you’ve hidden from me have become paralysed.’

Yes. Yami was counting on that. ‘You haven’t won yet.’

‘Don’t be a fool,’ Pegasus told him. ‘In just a matter of moments, my Thousand Eyes Restrict will assimilate your Chaos mage, absorb his magical powers and finish you off with one thunderous blast. And there’s nothing you can do.’

Yami gritted his teeth, putting on the illusion that Pegasus was right.

‘Accept it,’ Pegasus said. ‘It’s all over. Yugi’s last card has failed you both. His Millennium Puzzle will soon be mine. Chaos mage, come to me. Absorption force!’

‘Just the play I was waiting for.’ Yami flipped over his card.

The Thousand Eyes restrict began to absorb the monsters. Pegasus laughed. ‘In mere moments, your Magician of Black Chaos will be assimilated and all his powers will be mine!’

‘Wrong.’ Yami spoke the word calmly.

‘Huh?’ Pegasus looked confused, but that was soon fixed. The Chaos mage wasn’t the only thing on Yami’s side of the field. The others were appearing…and multiplying. ‘What’s happening?’

‘You were right about Thousand Eyes Spell,’ Yami said. ‘It did affect my hidden monsters. Specifically my Kuriboh. And it paralysed him along with my Chaos mage.’

‘No, this can’t be!’ Pegasus insisted.

‘Yes.’ Yami held up his magic card which he’d flipped up before. ‘And I activated my other down card, Multiply! One Kuriboh is becoming many.’ It was true. His side of the field was becoming blanketed in them. So much so that it was obscuring their view of the Thousand Eyes Restrict. ‘And, because it’s too late to call back the Absorption Force spell that you just cast, your Thousand Eyes Restrict had no choice but to assimilate them all…if it can!’ The Kuriboh started getting sucked in.

The little boy at his side cheered and clapped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman smiling and he had no doubt Shamee was doing the same behind him. It was getting to the point that now the Kuriboh were sticking to the Thousand Eyes Restrict.

‘Those furry freaks have covered him from head to toe!’ Pegasus insisted. ‘There must be a thousand of them.’

Yami chuckled. ‘Tens of thousands, Pegasus. And because of the way the Kuribohs attack, you’re about to see just as many explosions.’

‘No!’ Pegasus cried.

‘Huh?’ the boy asked.

The woman smiled at him. ‘Kuriboh self-destruct on contact with the enemy.’ As soon as she shut her mouth, the Kuriboh started doing just that. Each of them blew up, one at a time and in rapid succession. The Thousand Eyes Restrict was shrouded in smoke as the explosions ripped along it.

Pegasus covered his face and grunted in annoyance. As the smoke cleared, he spoke angrily. ‘Curse you, Yugi Moto! You and your Kuribohs.’

‘Of course, Kuriboh was my monster, so I do lose three hundred life points,’ Yami said. They dropped down to 100. His eyes narrowed. ‘But still, that’s a small price to pay for crippling that giant eyesore!’ The Thousand Eyes Restrict was no longer emitting its spell. In fact, all of the eyes were sealed shut by the damage done.

Pegasus drew back. ‘No!’

Yami continued as his monster descended again. ‘And now that your monster’s transfixing gaze has been broken, my Chaos mage is free and you, Pegasus, are through.’

Pegasus gritted his teeth.

‘Attack, Magician,’ Yami ordered, ‘with Chaos Sceptre Blast!’ The Chaos mage spun his sceptre and struck, releasing the power and causing it to cross the field to his opponent, creating a final explosion. ‘Your Thousand Eyes Restrict has been destroyed!’

‘Oh, no!’ Pegasus bellowed as he grabbed his head.

***

Joey felt it. He, Téa and Tristan lifted their heads and broke the connection.

‘Hey,’ Joey said. ‘Do you guys feel what I feel?’

‘Totally,’ Tristan responded. ‘It feels like Yugi. Like he’s okay!’

‘Yeah…yeah!’ Téa exclaimed. ‘I feel it too. I think he’s back.’

***

The boy and the woman were standing back.

Yugi lifted his head. ‘Pegasus, you’re finished. We’ve won.’ He felt, behind him, the presences of all his friends. That included Yami and Shamee.

Pegasus stared up in disbelief. This was probably his first ever defeat. He collapsed to his knees at his duelling board. ‘I’ve lost!’

Yugi smiled serenely to himself. Pegasus had lost and they’d won. Speaking of…Yugi closed his eyes and went into his mind to speak with him. ‘Yami, I don’t know how to thank you.’

‘It was your courage and the love your friends had for you that prevailed this day,’ Yami said.

‘And your determination,’ Yugi added.

Yami nodded.

‘We all did it.’ They hit a high five. ‘Together!’

‘That’s right,’ Yami said. ‘As friends.’

‘And in the end, that’s what it came down to.’

They looked up. There was an image of Sharee, Tristan, Téa, Joey and Shamee.

Yugi finished the thought. ‘Friends being there for one another.’

***

Téa watched in relief as the cloud cleared. Yugi stood at the duelling platform and Sharee stood just behind him. They all cried out at the same time as they ran forward. ‘Yugi! Sharee!’

Both of them turned.

Yugi was the first speak. ‘You guys, thanks!’

Joey caught his shoulders. ‘Oh, man, Yug! You did it. You really did it. You really finally did it.’

Téa tossed Joey back. He was hogging the spotlight. ‘What Joey is trying to say is that it’s really great you and your grandpa are going to be reunited.’

‘Yeah, for sure,’ Joey said. ‘And also, Yug…’

Tristan stepped forward. ‘Also, we wanted to say how impressed we are with you for being so brave and all.’

‘Yeah, impressed.’ Joey stepped forward again. ‘And we’re…’

Téa interrupted him this time. ‘And we’re proud of you too.’

Joey growled. ‘You guys are stealing everything I was gonna say!’

‘So, then, talk!’ Téa told him.

Joey calmed down. ‘Ah, forget it. Who cares? You won!’ Three of them cheered at that. Yugi and Sharee looked at each other and grinned.

‘We all won,’ Yugi said. ‘Thanks, guys.’

Téa realised that, somehow, they’d done more than just reach out to him. ‘Wait. Let’s not forget. This isn’t over until Pegasus releases everyone’s souls just like he promised.’

Joey agreed. ‘Yeah, Téa’s right.’

‘Well, then, let’s go grab the creep,’ Tristan said.

Yugi nodded and turned around. But there was a slight problem. ‘He’s gone!’

‘Why am I not surprised by this?’ Joey asked.

‘Slippery, double-crossing snake!’ Tristan snapped. ‘Let’s go find him.’

‘Sharee, does Shamee know where he is?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee’s eyes glazed over for a second, like she wasn’t quite with them. Then she nodded. ‘This way.’ She started leading them out of the duelling stadium.

‘But we can’t just leave Mokuba and Bakura here all alone,’ Téa pointed out.

Bakura suddenly called them from the upper gallery. ‘Hey, up here!’ They looked up and saw him waving. ‘Hello! Hey!’

***

‘Bakura?’ Yugi called.

‘Hey, there,’ Tristan responded. ‘Feeling back to normal?’

Bakura suddenly looked confused. ‘Have I not been normal, Tristan?’

Yugi glanced over and saw, past Tristan, Sharee’s eyes narrowed.

‘He must not be able to remember anything.’ Tristan spoke mostly to himself before he answered. ‘Yeah, that Ring you wear around your neck was making you act like a real freak again.’

Bakura muttered to himself, looking worried.

‘His Millennium Ring?’ Yugi asked. ‘Where is it now?’

‘Gone,’ Tristan said. ‘I chucked that thing as far away as I could.’

Yugi had a feeling that wouldn’t help much.

‘Oh, well,’ Bakura said. ‘If it was making me act weird, then I guess it was for the best. But it appears I’m fine now.’

‘Yes,’ Sharee said. ‘So can you look after Mokuba? His soul will be back in his body by the time we get back.’

‘Sure. I suppose.’

Sharee led the way out of the stadium.


	40. Match of the Millennium Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the duel.

The only reason Sharee broke into a run was because of the scream she heard. Her friends also picked up their pace. Shamee had been able to feel that Pegasus wasn’t going anywhere before he screamed.

‘Wait a minute,’ Téa said as she saw the tower they were running towards.

They all stopped.

‘Why?’ Yugi asked. ‘What’s the matter, Téa?’

Téa stared at the building. ‘Well, that tower…it looks…’ She hesitated. ‘I think I’ve been there before – with Tristan and Bakura. I vaguely recall a secret room. Pegasus’s sanctuary! Maybe it was just a dream, but…’

‘Only if we were both dreaming.’ Tristan came over and stood next to her, staring up at it as well. ‘I’m starting to remember it too. Pegasus fought with Bakura and then Bakura’s Evil Spirit came out. But why did we forget?’

‘Memory erasure,’ Sharee said. ‘It and mind manipulation are some of the powers of the Millennium Items. Shamee used to do it, in a minor way, to good people who came through her domain before I picked up the Bandanna.’

‘Do I want to know what happened to the bad ones?’ Joey asked.

Sharee frowned. ‘No.’ She started leading them towards the tower again. ‘Come on.’

When they arrived at the foot of the tower, Pegasus was being carried out, limp, by his men. Sharee ignored the questioning of her friends and dipped her head at precisely the right angle. Yeah, better they didn’t see that. The Millennium Eye was gone. Blood trailed out from the socket where the artefact had once rested.

As soon as Croquet dismissed them and walked past, leading his subordinates, Sharee led the way up into the tower. They quickly found the sanctuary in question and started looking around. Joey and Tristan found the picture of the woman of interest.

‘So this is where Pegasus hangs out?’ Joey asked. ‘Whoever that woman is, she sure is pretty.’

‘Yeah.’ Tristan smiled.

Téa picked up a small book on the desk. ‘Hey. What’s this?’ She started flicking through it. ‘Seems to be a diary.’ A card fell out. Yugi picked it up. On the other side was an image of the woman. ‘Maybe we’ll find something in here.’

‘Yeah.’ Sharee yanked it out of her hands and opened to the first word. She scanned the opening sentence. ‘That lady’s name is Cecelia.’

‘How do you know?’ Tristan asked as he and Joey came over to them.

Sharee cleared her throat and leaned on the desk, facing them. ‘Darling Cecelia, at last I’ve finally found a way to restore you to this world.’ She lifted her head. ‘All this to bring back the dead? For God’s sake, the Millennium Items aren’t capable of that!’

‘Really?’ Téa asked. ‘I thought they moved souls around.’

‘Yes, but if they could restore the dead to life, the spirits in our Items wouldn’t need us to act as vessels, would they?’

‘She’s got a point,’ Joey said.

Sharee nodded. ‘And listen to this: “It’s an elaborate plan, but not one beyond my genius. It involves the Kaiba Corporation and some ancient magic I plan to harness once I obtain more Millennium Items”.’

‘This could be it!’ Téa looked around at them. ‘This might explain why he set up the tournament and why he went after Yugi!’

‘And maybe who this girl is.’ Yugi held up the card.

‘It’s pretty obvious he’s hung up on her,’ Joey said.

‘It’s probably his wife.’ Sharee began reading out again. ‘Cecelia. Oh, my lovely, darling Cecelia. You know how I’ve loved you since the first moment we met. Those many years ago. I’ll never forget that day. It was at a party at my father’s country estate. It was a gala event with celebrities and tycoons from all over the world. Anyone who was anyone was there. But, by far, the one that impressed me most…was you. Even though we were only children, I knew I was in love. We were drawn to each other and, from that moment on, we were inseparable, you and I. You enflamed my passions, inspired me to become a painter and you were my favourite subject. I was so in love. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, you agreed to take my hand once again. This time, in marriage. That was the happiest day of my life. But it was cut short. For it seemed just as we said our vows you were struck down by a devastating disease, and taken from me and this world. It was as if a blow had struck me from the heavens. I was filled with sorrow. From that moment on, I could no longer paint. My heart grew bitter and cold. Unable to accept the idea that our life together was forever lost, I decided to scour the earth in an attempt to find any way to reach you beyond this mortal veil. My journey eventually brought me to the Great Pyramids of Egypt. That mysterious land whose ancient people believed in a life beyond the here and now. A belief I wanted to embrace. I had just begun to explore that ancient city when fate intervened.’

As Sharee read to her friends about how Pegasus met Shadi and acquired his Millennium Eye, she half-wondered how he would react to it if Pegasus had acquired the Millennium Puzzle. And she half wondered when Shadi would arrive here to investigate the robbery of Pegasus’s Eye.

‘That brief moment gave me more hope than I thought possible. Even though you were gone from my world, I knew there was still a way to reach your spirit. I wouldn’t rest until I found a way to bring you back and, once again, touch the flower that is your face. And gaze into your eyes once more.’ How corny. Sharee scanned ahead and closed the book.   
‘The rest is basically explaining later Pegasus got an inspiration. He was gonna use Kaiba’s virtual technology and combine it with the magic of Millennium Items to restore Cecelia.’ She turned around and laid the book back down. As she did, she spotted what she wanted. ‘Ah.’

Yugi saw it too. ‘Hey, look! Three soul cards! They’re all blank!’

Joey stood up front the chair he’d pulled up for himself sometime while she’d been reading. ‘Pegasus must’ve freed them!’

‘Let’s find out!’ Téa insisted. She, Joey and Tristan ran ahead, back to where they’d left Mokuba.

Yugi hung by the desk and Sharee waited for him. She had a feeling and it was probably better they were together when it happened.

‘I hope they’re okay,’ Yugi murmured.

Joey called them. ‘Come on, you two. Let’s go!’

Yugi and Sharee turned.

‘Coming,’ Yugi called. The two of them ran but stopped at the steps. Their friends were far enough forward that they wouldn’t see that there was a vortex on the stairway and an Egyptian man rose out of it.

‘What’s going on?’ Yugi asked.

_Yup. Thought as much._

***

Yugi stared at the Egyptian man in confusion. There was an Ankh hanging around the man’s neck. ‘He has a Millennium Item too.’ It was getting so he could recognise them on sight.

‘Shadi?’ Sharee took a step forward. Obviously, she knew this guy. ‘From this I take it that someone has stolen Pegasus’s Millennium Eye?’

The Egyptian opened his eyes and nodded once. His eyes zeroed in on Yugi though. With an amused sound in the back of her throat, Sharee turned to Yugi and explained.

‘He’s just going to take a look into your mind,’ she said. ‘That’s the power of the Millennium Key.’

‘Why?’ Yugi asked.

‘Because in the past five thousand years, those who’ve gotten one Millennium Item have often tried to obtain them all.’ Sharee frowned. ‘Kind of like what Pegasus just tried to do. Shadi was summoned here because the Eye falling into the wrong hands caused an upset in the mystic alignment.’

And Pegasus’s Millennium Eye had been stolen. Would this guy have shown up if he actually succeeded in getting Yugi’s Puzzle? Somehow, he thought so. But the message Sharee was delivering was clear: if you have a Millennium Item when another one goes missing in the area you’re in, you’re a reasonable suspect.

‘Oh, okay,’ Yugi said. It was only to check whether or not he was guilty. Yugi didn’t see anything wrong with that. And Sharee seemed to trust him.

Sharee smiled at the Egyptian. ‘And you guys said I was compliant!’

Shadi didn’t respond. He walked up the steps and pulled the Millennium Key from around his neck. Holding it out, he pressed it to Yugi’s forehead and turned it. It was an odd sensation, somebody else going into your head.

***

Yami waited patiently as the man Sharee had called Shadi entered their mind. He paid attention of he looked over first Yugi’s Chamber of the Mind. Yami knew what he was seeing and sensing. The boy was kind and innocent. His Chamber was filled with toys and games. Whatever Shadi was investigating, he would find Yugi an innocent.

But it would be _his_ presence that drew the man’s attention. Yami waited as Shadi approached and then opened the door to his Chamber. He seemed only slightly startled to see him standing there, waiting.

‘It’s all right,’ Yami said. ‘You may enter my Chamber if that is what you desire. But I warn you, tread cautiously. I will allow no harm to come to the boy whose vessel I share.’

Shadi’s face tightened and he walked forward. As he did, he looked around.

Yami waited until he’d ventured far enough inside. ‘Your presence here intrigues me. I don’t know how you entered my mind. Explain yourself before you trespass further. I demand an explanation for your intrusion.’ Although he knew Yugi had never met this man, he felt…somewhat familiar to Yami.

‘I seek a criminal who has stolen the power of a Millennium Item,’ Shadi said. ‘It has been five long Millennia since those ancient items were created. Their magical energies were trapped in them by a brave Pharaoh. Combined, these seven Millennium Items posses power enough to conquer the world, hence many evil men have ventured to gather these items for themselves.’

This sounded vaguely familiar, like a part of him already knew. Also it did explain why so many had sought to remove the Puzzle from Yugi’s hands. And the Bandanna from Sharee’s.

‘It is my heritage to guard the Millennium Items. And my charge to punish the thief who stole Pegasus’s Millennium Eye.’

‘And you accuse me of being that criminal?’

‘You have already taken refuge in the vessel of another. That does not bode well. But if you are not the criminal, then you have nothing to fear from my search.’

‘Guilty until proven innocent,’ Yami remarked. ‘An ancient concept for this modern age. However, I have nothing to hide. I’m not your criminal.’

Shadi frowned. ‘Then grant me passage to your unconscious mind.’

‘Fine. I’ll open the doors for you.’ Yami clicked and the labyrinth of his unconscious mind appeared. Even he couldn’t navigate it properly, but it would be enough to tell Shadi he was not the guilty party. ‘You may search them to your heart’s content.’

Shadi looked around, surprised, before returning his gaze to him.

‘And now, I will leave you to your exploration.’ Yami did just as he said. But he watched him. As he’d thought, Shadi was nearly struck by one booby trap before he began to make use of his Millennium Key. It guided him through the labyrinth.

***

Yugi had followed Shadi as well. He was curious as to what he’d find here. Yami hadn’t minded either. As long as he was careful. Too many death traps in here, he’d said. Just keep away from the doors unless he gets in.

When Shadi fell into the hole, hanging on my one hand though Yugi couldn’t just watch anymore. He walked over and leaned down, grabbing his hand. ‘I don’t know why Yami’s doing this to you, but I can’t let him hurt you.’

Shadi looked up at him, surprised.

‘Let me help you up.’

Shadi did and Yugi pulled him up to safety. As Shadi caught his breath, he explained. ‘I seek only the truth, but it’s strange. My way is blocked.’

Yugi stood up. ‘It’s strange all right, but I don’t think Yami’s doing this on purpose. I get the feeling that there are some memories hidden even from him. I sure wish I knew what they were.’ He helped him so much, Yugi wanted to find a way to return the favour.

A light suddenly shone on a door in front of them right before it opened.

Shadi was on his feet in the next moment. ‘The door. It opens for you, as if seeking to answer your curiosity. But why? Why does it yield to you?’

Yugi didn’t know but they went in. He was fascinated as they walked between the rows of stone. ‘What is all this? What are these stone tablets?’

‘Five thousand years ago, Egyptian kings played a game of great and terrible power,’ Shadi said. ‘These Shadow Games were played with real magic and real monsters. But those games erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world, until a brave Pharaoh locked the magic away, sealing the monsters in stone tablets. But how could your other personality have knowledge of this ancient history and why do I suddenly sense here, in his unconscious mind, magic that the world has not known for five millennia?’

Yugi paused at one of the stones. ‘They look just like the monsters on the cards we use to play with today.’

Light suddenly exploded out.

‘Look out,’ Shadi cautioned. ‘A new threat appears.’

The Dark Magician stood there. Shadi wanted to use the Blue Eyes White Dragon to fight him but Yugi had a better idea. He stepped forward. ‘Dark Magician, we are not intruders. Don’t you recognise me? Stand aside and let us leave in peace. We will not reveal the hidden secrets. You know me. You trust me.’

The Dark Magician stood down. Yugi turned back to Shadi and smiled. The Dark Magician disappeared and suddenly they were back on the stairway. Shadi lowered the Millennium Key.

‘I apologise for my rude intrusion into your mind,’ he said. ‘I did not realise that you are the Chosen One. That the ancient predictions have finally been fulfilled at last.’  
Sharee scoffed in amusement. ‘So what did you think I was doing here?’

Shadi nodded, as if this was something he should have already considered. He turned away. ‘In my search for a thief, I instead found the most worthy. One fated to unlock all the magic.’

Yugi was startled at that himself.

‘The theft of Pegasus’s Millennium Eye is but the first sign that evil once again walks the earth, leaving madness in its wake,’ Shadi advised. ‘As in ancient times, Chaos once more threatens to envelop an unsuspecting world. And only he who solved the Millennium Puzzle can save it.’ He began to walk away.

‘What do you mean?’ Yugi asked. ‘Is there anything else you can tell me about this?’

Shadi stopped. ‘Take great care. Be on your guard. Whoever the thief is who stole Pegasus’s Millennium Item, he will also come seeking yours. Sharee is but your assistance. Utilise the resources you have.’

‘Wow, that’s almost too scary to think about.’ Yugi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘But if a guy like you couldn’t find him, how do you expect me to?’

Shadi, he now noticed, was going back through the vortex he came from.

‘Wait, don’t go!’ Yugi called. ‘I’ve got a lot more questions!’

‘Sharee has the answers,’ Shadi said as he vanished. ‘But I am certain we will meet again another day. But, until then, stay true to your destiny. Remember, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.’

Yugi gasped at the thought.

***

Sharee waited until Yugi recovered from that revelation. Then they walked down the stairs to catch up with their friends. She really shouldn’t have been surprised at Yugi’s first question. He always did know how to focus.

‘Assistant?’ Yugi looked at her. ‘How are you my assistant?’

‘Shamee is a…I suppose you could describe her is a loyal servant of Yami,’ Sharee said. ‘As a point of fact, the only reason she’s here is because he is. It’s also parcel and part of why you and I met. The two vessels need to be friends for the plan to work. Remember, they’re trying to save the world. We’re the way they get around so they can do that.’

Yugi nodded. ‘So the vessels need to become friends and work together.’

Sharee chuckled. ‘And it was, apparently, very compliant of me to track down where the Puzzle was and move there.’

The two of them laughed as they walked out.


	41. The Wrath of Rebecca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After grandpa Moto gets out of hospital, Sharee has to run for _someone else's_ grandpa.

Sharee paused by the door as they passed it. Bakura was already standing there. The seal was gone and the door was opening. Mokuba Kaiba stepped out, looking confused.   
‘Where’s Seto?’ he asked.

‘You got me,’ Sharee said. ‘He’ll be somewhere around.’ Should be down in the dungeons currently but, if she had him pegged, he’d have broken out of his cell by now.

Croquet suddenly interrupted them. ‘Yugi, Joey.’

‘Croquet,’ Yugi said.

‘Due to his illness, Mr. Pegasus will be unable to attend,’ Croquet said.

Yugi and Sharee both looked at Bakura. They both knew that “illness” was a euphemism for “he was attacked and his Millennium Eye was stolen”. And they were both fully aware of what had happened.

‘If you ask me, it’s just a lame excuse to avoid paying off on the prizes,’ Joey said.

‘All prizes are still to be awarded. Yugi has already received his agreed-upon reward of three freed souls. But…’ Croquet walked over to him and held out a card in a case for them to see. ‘…in addition, there’s this.’

‘What is it?’ Yugi asked.

‘It’s a card called The Ties of Friendship,’ Croquet answered. ‘It’s the only one of its kind, hand-painted by Pegasus himself.’ He went on talking as Yugi took the card. ‘I was instructed personally to deliver it to Yugi Moto. You are now, officially, King of Games.’ He pulled an envelope out of his inner pocket. ‘This contains a cheque for the prize money, won by Yugi in his duel with Joey Wheeler.’

Yugi looked up at their blond friend. ‘It’s all yours, Joey. Just like I promised.’

Joey smiled and nodded. ‘You’re the best, Yug.’ He took the cheque. Sharee smiled. Now his sister’s eyesight could be saved. All-in-all, things turned out better than even she expected.

‘Three million dollars, Joey!’ Téa stated.

‘For your sister’s operation,’ Tristan said.

‘Yeah,’ Joey said. ‘We’ve been apart for so long, but now I can save her from going blind!’

Yugi smiled. ‘That’s great, Joey.’

Sharee grinned. ‘I’ll say.’

‘Yeah, you bet it is.’

Croquet interrupted them again. ‘Now, we’d like you all to leave.’ He walked away.

Téa turned. ‘Yugi, I just realised! If Mokuba’s soul has been returned then maybe…’

‘Yeah,’ Yugi said. ‘It should mean that grandpa’s recovering too.’

Sharee chuckled. ‘You only just realised this?’

Yugi smiled. ‘I can’t wait to get him out of that hospital.’

***

Yugi watched Mokuba call for his brother outside the castle grounds.

‘Seto! Big brother! Seto! It’s me, Mokuba! Where are you?’

‘The castle’s huge,’ Yugi said. ‘Kaiba could be almost anywhere.’

Sharee shook her head. ‘He’s not far away.’ She pointed to the gates that were opening.

‘Hey!’ Yugi exclaimed.

Sharee had been right. Kaiba was standing on the other side.

‘It’s him.’ Mokuba ran forward. ‘Big brother!’ He hugged him. Kaiba caught him. Mokuba cried. ‘You’re here! You’re here!’

Yugi remembered, so long ago now, Sharee had said that Mokuba was the only one Kaiba really loved. Looking at his face now, thinking on what had transpired in the last few days, he knew she was right.

‘It’s all right,’ Kaiba told Mokuba.

Joey spoke up from behind them. ‘Come on. Let’s not get all mushy and gooey, you know. I can’t take it.’

Kaiba ignored him and knelt down to his brother’s level.

‘Oh, Seto,’ Mokuba said. ‘I didn’t know what happened to you.’ He held up a card-shaped locket. ‘But I never stopped thinking of you, big brother.’

‘I know.’ Kaiba pulled out his own. They were probably two halves of the same photo of the brothers. ‘I would have risked anything to save you, Mokuba.’

‘Yugi told me, you risked a lot,’ Mokuba responded. ‘Now we’re together again, Seto.’

‘So what do you say, little brother. Ready for me to take you back home, where we both belong?’

‘You bet!’

Kaiba stood up and Mokuba turned around, facing them. A serious look was on Kaiba’s face. ‘Thank you, Yugi. Thanks for saving my brother Mokuba’s soul. He means everything to me.’

‘How could I do anything else?’ Yugi asked.

‘I am grateful,’ Kaiba said. ‘But because of our circumstances, our last duel was not really conclusive.’

Yugi remembered it. ‘Yes, you’re right.’

Seto went on. ‘One day, we will meet in the arena again to decide which of us is truly the better duellist. And one of us will walk away with pride.’

‘Hm.’ Yugi nodded.

Kaiba turned. ‘Come on, Mokuba. Let’s go. The copter’s waiting.’

‘All right!’ Mokuba cheered. ‘We’re going home.’

The two brothers left. Yugi and his friends watched them go. He felt the shift and, of the five of them. Only he and Sharee stood there. But the two spirits had joined them.

Yami stepped forward. ‘You did it. You saved everyone, Yugi.’

Yugi turned to him. ‘We all did. And I don’t even know who you are or where you came from.’

‘To be honest, we don’t either,’ Shamee said. ‘We do know that we’re from what you would refer to as Ancient Egypt though. But my name as always been the same, unlike…’ She turned her eyes to her overlord.

Yami nodded. ‘I’ve been called many things through the ages: Prince, Yu-Gi-Oh. But as of this time period, as you know, I’ve been known as Yami.’

‘Well, Yami,’ Yugi said. ‘I’m proud to call you my friend.’

All four of them looked back at their other friends.

‘Good,’ Yami said. ‘Because I’m proud to be one.’

They shifted back out to the outside world.

Joey suddenly looked worried. ‘I just thought of something! All the boats have left. So how are we supposed to get off this island?’

Tristan went to panic too. Sharee suddenly laughed. She turned and walked. ‘Come on, then.’

Yugi was the first to start following her and the others fell into step behind them. Down the stairs and away from the pier. When Yugi saw it, he blinked in confusion. Then he looked up at her.

‘Is that how you got here ahead of us?’ he asked.

‘And it’s how we’re leaving too,’ Sharee said.

There was a private jet on the edge of the island.

***

**Domino City  
‘What’s the matter, Yugi? You’re not surprised to see me up and about are you?’**

**Sharee stood back and watched Yugi rush to hug his grandfather. She only paused as she felt her cell phone ringing in her skirt pocket. She quickly answered it, ignoring the glare the receptionist was giving her.**

**‘Hello?’ She smiled. ‘Oh, hi, dad. You are? How come? Really. Cool! Okay, I’ll see you soon.’ She hung up. ‘When Yugi comes over, could you guys tell him my dad called me away. He wants me to come help with a translation.’**

**‘Okay,’ Téa said.**

**They said their goodbyes and Sharee walked off. She had just stepped out of the hospital and turned to see someone she wasn’t expecting. She stopped and then narrowed her eyes. This kid was smart yes – a genius even – but knowing that made her very egotistical.**

**‘Rebecca Hawkins?’ Sharee asked.**

**‘Sharee Pertinicle?’ Rebecca was just as surprised to see her. ‘What are you doing here?’**

**‘I was about to ask you the same question,’ Sharee said.**

**Rebecca frowned. ‘I came to reclaim a card that was stolen from my grandpa.’**

**Knowing how presumptuous Rebecca could be, Sharee narrowed her eyes. ‘Which card?’**

**‘The Blue Eyes White Dragon,’ Rebecca said. ‘It was my grandpa’s favourite and Solomon Moto took it from him.’**

**‘No, he didn’t.’**

**Rebecca’s face twisted. ‘How would you know?’**

**‘Because I know him.’ Sharee clasped her hand on the girl’s shoulder. ‘And he just got out of a coma. He’s my friend’s grandpa. That’s what I was doing here. He’s not a thief. Unless the Prof told you that personally, I will not believe it.’**

**‘Of course grandpa wouldn’t tell me!’ Rebecca snapped. ‘He thinks I’m still just a kid. He doesn’t want to worry me with this stuff!’**

**‘For the love of Ra!’ Sharee was beginning to lose her temper. ‘That’s just an assumption you’ve made! I know I’m the closest thing you have to a friend so I wouldn’t expect you to really get it yet, but if you go at people with bluster and accusations, you just end up making a fool out of yourself!’**

**‘You should talk!’ Rebecca shook her finger at her. ‘You’re only standing up for him because he’s your friend’s grandpa!’**

**‘I’m standing up for him because you’re accusing him of a crime he didn’t commit!’ Sharee retorted. ‘If you had as much brains as you think you do…oh, for the love of all that’s holy!’ She yanked her phone of her skirt pocket and dialled. Rebecca went to stride past her but Sharee grabbed her shoulder, holding her in place. ‘Don’t go making a scene, _little girl_.’ The phone rang and rang. No answer. Sharee pulled it aware from her ear and cursed. ‘Must be in the museum.’ She shoved it back into her pocket and let go of Rebecca. ‘I expect to find you in the duelling arena.’ She stormed off.**

**‘Where are you going?’ Rebecca demanded.**

**Sharee answered, but knew the girl wouldn’t hear her. ‘You’re not listening to me. You’re dead-set on your own blunder-headed conclusions. I think you’ll listen to only one person. Obviously, I’m going to get him.’ She glanced back. Rebecca was looking at the hospital again. ‘I’m thinking of taking her with me, but I’d never get her to follow me all that way.’ All the same, she fished her phone out again and called a different number. ‘Shauna, you remember Rebecca Hawkins? I figure she’ll end up duelling Yugi. Give me a call and tell me all the details.’**

**Sharee crossed the city in remarkable time, if she did say so herself. She ran into the museum, switching her cell phone off as she ran in the doors. A few of the staff yelled at her to stop running but she ignored them.**

**Sharee only stopped when she got to the relic room. Her father, Dennis Pertinicle, and Professor Arthur Hawkins were there. They were leaning over a rubbing of an old text. Both looked up as she skidded to a stop.**

**‘Sharee Unity Pertinicle, I do hope you weren’t running in a museum,’ her father said.**

**‘Yes, but there was a good reason for it,’ Sharee said. She turned. ‘Hello, Professor Hawkins, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.’**

**‘And you, Sharee.’ The Professor smiled at her. ‘Your father tells me that you’ve become the vessel of a spirit from the time these games we’ve been theorising about were played.’**

**‘Yes, I have.’ Sharee smiled. ‘And, gotta say, this is one of the nicest possessions I’ve ever heard of in my life.’**

**Professor Hawkins chuckled. ‘And what is it that’s brought you running in here so unceremoniously?’**


	42. Ties of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Rebecca Hawkins to learn an important life lesson.

As soon as they stepped outside the museum and Sharee flicked on her cell phone, it rang. She answered. ‘Hello? Shauna? Yeah, I thought as much. I’m bringing him now. Hang on, I’m putting the phone on speaker and then you tell us what’s happening.’ She pulled the phone from her ear, hit the appropriate button and then told Shauna to go ahead. As they walked they listened to everything they’d missed.

‘Card for card,’ Professor Hawkins murmured.

‘Sorry?’ Sharee looked at him.

Professor Hawkins smiled. ‘Years ago, when I first met Solomon, we played this same duel card for card.’

‘Who won?’ Shauna asked through the phone.

‘Solomon did.’

‘Ah.’ Sharee nodded. ‘Keep updating us, Shauna.’ She turned to him as they continued on their way. ‘So that day – when Mr. Moto got the Blue Eyes from you – what really happened?’

Professor Hawkins smiled. ‘Solomon joined an archaeological expedition that I was leading. A brand new discovery had been made not far from the Great Pyramids. I suppose the desert was hotter and drier than he’d anticipated for. I offered him a drink and he drank a little too quickly. I was just amused as his enthusiasm.’

Sharee smiled.

The Professor continued. ‘We quickly became friends after that. I showed him my findings, much like I did your father. He encouraged me, found them amazing even. Despite the diversity and the mocking of my colleagues, he continued helping me. We found one tomb that had duel monsters as we would recognise them today amongst the hieroglyphics.’

Sharee blinked. ‘So you found evidence of the Shadow Games outside of the Forbidden Valley?’

‘If that was what they were called, yes,’ Professor Hawkins said. ‘It’s how I came across the belief that the Egyptians played a similar game to our own. I continued on my research, inviting Solomon along. In time, I discovered a link between the game and the Millennium Items.’

Sharee smiled to herself. ‘Have you been able to decipher what the link is?’

‘Unfortunately, no.’ Professor Hawkins frowned. ‘It’s still very mysterious. I found that the game wasn’t played just for fun or money, but rather for the power to rule the world. In a place called the Shadow Realm…’

‘I know, I know.’ Sharee shuddered. ‘I’ve been there and I’d prefer to never go again.’

Professor Hawkins looked like he wanted to ask about it but instead he went on with his story. ‘Well, at that precise moment, the tomb caved in around us.’

Sharee winced. ‘Oo! Then what?’

‘I realised there was no way out. I found the lamp and lit it. As time passed, we feared the Pharaoh’s grave would become ours as well. We consumed what little food we had with us. Soon nothing was left but a canteen of water, enough for only one person. I suggested a duel.’

‘A duel?’ Sharee asked. ‘At a time like that?’

‘As I said to Solomon, it would keep our spirits up and give us something else to think about. It was better than sitting around, waiting for the end to come.’ Professor Hawkins chuckled. ‘He agreed with me and then suggested that the winner of the duel have the water. We started the game and my first card was the Witch of the Black Forest.’

Shauna’s voice came through. ‘That’s the same card Rebecca played.’

‘Exactly.’

‘Oh, wait,’ Shauna said. ‘Mr. Moto’s telling the story now.’

‘Okay, call me back when he’s done.’ Sharee hung up and looked at the Professor. ‘Go on. Let’s cut to the chase. Who won?’

‘Solomon did, but he gave me his victory.’

‘Gave you his…’ Sharee nodded. ‘He gave you the water.’

‘Yes, he did.’

‘And you gave him the Blue Eyes White Dragon in gratitude,’ Sharee said. ‘As a sign of your friendship.’

Professor Hawkins smiled and nodded. Sharee’s cell phone rang again.

***

Yugi was surprised when Rebecca’s further accusations at his grandfather were cut off by someone saying, ‘Rebecca, behave yourself.’

Less so, when he saw Sharee and someone who had to be Professor Arthur Hawkins walk in. Of course! Sharee’s father was waiting for the opportunity to prove that the Shadow Games did happen, as she’d told them on the way back, and this was the man who had found the evidence. The two of them probably worked together, so when Sharee had left, she must’ve met Rebecca outside and then gone to get her grandfather.

Because he would be the only one she’d listen to.

Rebecca turned to him. ‘Grandpa?’ She clearly hadn’t been expecting to see him.

‘Arthur?’ Neither was his grandfather. ‘Arthur, is it really you?’

‘Huh?’ Joey, Tristan and Téa leaned forward.

Sharee chuckled and skipped past them as Professor Hawkins responded.

‘It’s been a long time, Solomon.’

His grandfather smiled. ‘Far too long, my dear old friend.’

‘I do hope my precocious granddaughter hasn’t caused you too much trouble.’ Professor Hawkins walked past them. ‘Sharee came and fetched me because she knew I was the only one she would listen to once her mind was set. Can you forgive her?’

‘For what?’ Rebecca demanded.

Professor Hawkins was walking over to them. ‘Rebecca, did you know Yugi was actually the winner of your duel?’

‘No!’ Rebecca insisted, running over. ‘Grandpa, I won!’

Professor Hawkins stopped in front of him. ‘Yugi, you’re just like your grandfather. You’re a generous young man and a very fine duellist.’ Professor Hawkins reached over and picked up the next card Yugi would have drawn as his granddaughter arrived behind him. ‘I knew it.’ He turned around and held it up for his granddaughter to see. ‘Rebecca, have a look at this card.’

‘Oh?’ Rebecca looked surprised.

The rest of them had come over to the platform.

‘It’s a card called Soul Release,’ Professor Hawkins said. ‘If Yugi had played this card in the final turn, you would have been defeated for certain. With Soul Release, Yugi could have freed up to five cards from his graveyard – or yours. Do you realise what that means? Your Shadow Ghoul’s power would have instantly dropped from 2800 to 2300. Yugi’s Dark Magician had an attack power of 2500. And therefore…’ He let that one hang.

Rebecca stammered. ‘You mean Yugi never really had to surrender?’ She twisted around, angry again. ‘Then why?’

Yugi tried to think of a way to answer that.

‘Don’t you understand?’ Professor Hawkins explanation made Yugi blush. ‘Yugi wanted to show you that there’s much more to duelling than just winning and losing. He wanted you to see that the way to the Heart of the Cards is through your own heart.’

Rebecca looked at him.

‘After that tomb collapsed and we bet our last drop of water on the duel, Solomon also sacrificed a victory to save my life,’ Professor Hawkins said. Everyone but Sharee looked at him in surprise. The archaeologist looked down as he remembered it. ‘I felt weak, overcome by the heat. Solomon gave me the water. He saved my life, Rebecca. But there’s more.’ He came over and knelt in front of her. ‘In my duel with Solomon, it’s true that I sent any number of monsters to the graveyard to bring the Shadow Ghoul to its ultimate power, but I never failed to honour those monsters for their sacrifice. In their own way, they were every bit as important to me as the Shadow Ghoul card itself. Even more than the monsters though, a duellist must always respect his opponent. In Solomon’s case, I felt such respect and gratitude that I gave him my Blue Eyes White Dragon.’

Rebecca turned around. ‘Yeah, and he showed his respect and thanks by ripping it up!’

Sharee’s hands landed on Rebecca’s shoulders. She looked up, startled. The older girl smiled. ‘What did I say before? Making assumptions and accusations make you look like a fool. Mr. Moto didn’t rip that card up – Seto Kaiba did. He had a bit of an obsession with them. Of course, that was before Yami banished the evil side of him to the Shadow Realm.’

‘Yami?’ Rebecca asked.

‘Like me, Yugi shares his body with a five thousand year old spirit.’ Sharee cocked her head thoughtfully. ‘Actually, come to think of it, it was actually very considerate of Yugi not to let him out for the duel. He wouldn’t have been so nice about it. And he would’ve made you feel like a little girl who has no clue of what she’s doing.’

Solomon stepped forward. ‘It was damaged, Arthur. Forgive me.’

Professor Hawkins stood up. ‘That doesn’t matter, Solomon. What matters is that you kept it as a token of our friendship. You valued the card, not for its rarity, but for what it represents. The bond between us.’ He turned back to his granddaughter. ‘Now, do you understand, Rebecca? Great duels can form the basis of great and lasting friendships, because the cards are about heart.’

Rebecca blinked. ‘My heart?’

‘The heart of every duellist,’ Professor Hawkins said. ‘And the Heart of the Cards. That’s what Yugi was trying to show you.’

Rebecca turned around and faced him, expression contrite. ‘Oh, Yugi. I’m sorry.’

Yugi smiled. ‘It’s okay, Rebecca.’

‘You mean you forgive me?’ she asked.

‘Sure.’ Yugi handed her the card. ‘Here. Take this card.’

Rebecca took it and looked at it. ‘The Ties of Friendship?’

Yugi nodded. ‘Yeah. I’d like you to have it.’

‘Thank you, Yugi.’

After a moment, behind them, they heard Professor Hawkins speak. ‘Say, Solomon. It’s been ages since you and I have duelled.’

‘Is that a challenge I hear, Arthur?’

‘Oh, wow!’ Joey cheered. ‘This I gotta see! Duelling grandpas!’

Tristan leaned forward. ‘Mr. Moto, remember, you just got outta the hospital.’

Mr. Moto chuckled. ‘Yes, but I could out-duel any of you young turks even if I was still in a coma.’

The stadium was filled with their laughter.


	43. Legendary Heroes Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Seto gets trapped in his own virtual world, Mokuba comes to Yugi and co. for help.

‘Mr. Kaiba…uh…welcome back, sir.’

‘What an unexpected surprise.’

‘Yes, I’m sure it is, you treacherous snakes,’ Kaiba said. ‘You see, I know all about your partnership with Pegasus and scheme you had to take over my corporation.’

‘That’s right.’ Mokuba took a step forward but stayed by his side. ‘What you guys did was really messed up! Working with that creep to try and get rid of my brother and me? You guys are sick.’

‘You’re all fired,’ Kaiba stated. ‘And I suggest you leave now before I really lose my temper and take more than just your jobs.’

‘…But let us explain!’

Kaiba wasn’t in the mood. ‘Don’t test me, you slime.’

‘Seto, if you’ll only let us speak, you’ll understand why we did what we did.’

‘That, I doubt!’ Kaiba snapped.

‘The sole reason we formed this so-called partnership with Master…pardon, Mr. Pegasus was to rescue you.’

‘Yes, Johnston here is absolutely right. Pegasus was the one who wanted your company and we thought that perhaps if we had some sort of formal alliance with him it would lead us to you.’

Kaiba paused. He still doubted though. After all, Johnston said “master”.

‘You expect us to believe that?’ Mokuba demanded.

The leader of the Big 5 folded his hands. ‘Seto, we had no intention of taking over Kaiba Corp. In fact, we were waiting for your stamp of approval before we sent out our latest product. It’s your Virtual Pod. We’ve readied it for market distribution.’

Kaiba closed his eyes. ‘You have? Impressive. But don’t think that that means you’re off the hook. Any of you.’

‘Yeah!’ Mokuba turned to him. ‘You tell ‘em!’

Kaiba smiled to himself. ‘At last, Mokuba, my Virtual Adventure Game is ready to be tested.’ He turned and walked out, trusting Mokuba to follow him and he did.

‘Wait!’ Mokuba called. ‘Seto!’ They walked down the hallways and into the lift. As it moved, Mokuba tried to convince him that it could wait. ‘You just got back. Why do you have to try it out right now?’

‘You don’t need to worry about it, Mokuba,’ Kaiba said. Because that’s what it was. His little brother was worried about him going into the Adventure Game so soon after they’d booted off a treacherous plot.

‘But it could be a trap!’ Mokuba insisted.

Kaiba looked out at the city. ‘You’re forgetting, little brother, I designed each and every program in this game myself.’ The lift stopped and opened. They walked out and down the hallway. ‘You know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment and now it’s finally here.’ Kaiba opened the door and flicked on the lights as they stepped into the room. He looked at the Pod. ‘Isn’t it beautiful? And it’s finished at last.’ He walked up to it and climbed into the seat. Automatically the machine activated and the visor came over his face.  
The computer voice sounded. ‘Insert duelling deck into the drive recogniser.’

Kaiba pulled his deck out of his inner breast pocket and slid it into the appropriate slot.

‘All systems go.’ The Pod lifted and turned, the protective screen coming down over him. ‘Virtual screen closing.’

‘Get ready, Mokuba.’

‘Virtual screen locked. Reality uplink loading.’

‘Big brother, are you positive about this?’ Mokuba asked.

‘Absolutely,’ Kaiba said. ‘Now start it up.’

‘Okay, then.’ Mokuba still looked nervous.

‘I won’t be long, Mokuba.’

Mokuba pulled the lever. ‘Be careful!’

Kaiba was already moving through to the virtual world. Light shot past him. _This mind transport portal has certainly been smoothed out. I can hardly even feel the separation from my body. Now, let’s see how the virtual world itself is._

Kaiba passed through the portal and jumped down, landing on the grass in a forest. ‘Visual, check. Sounds, check. Life points.’ He looked at the contraption on his wrist. ‘Check.’ He stood and started walking. ‘So far, so good.’ Kaiba only stopped when he saw a Two-Headed King Rex up ahead, its attack points hovering over its head. ‘Excellent. Just like I programmed.’ Kaiba drew and held his card up. ‘I summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon!’ The card glowed brightly and the monster came out, appearing with a roar. ‘White Lightning attack!’ The beast fired and the King Rex was destroyed. But Kaiba saw something jumping through the trees at a high speed. ‘Huh? The Armed Ninja?’ Something else shot forward. ‘I didn’t design this. Attack!’ The Blue Eyes roared and when its blast hit, something flew out to land in front of them. Something Kaiba never wanted to see. ‘What? A Dragon Capture Jar?’ It glowed brightly and the Blue Eyes was sucked in. ‘No. Someone must’ve reprogrammed the game’s combat protocols! My Blue Eyes, no.’

Kaiba was cut off as the Armed Ninja landed to the side. As it struck him and he was knocked out cold, he had just one thought. _Mokuba was right._ He should have known this was a trap.

***

Yugi was mildly surprised. Shauna was in town visiting her sister and father so Sharee had decided to bring her around. Despite the fact that they were twins, Shauna was a few inches taller than Sharee, except when Shamee would be in control of the body. She was also a blue-eyed redhead as opposed to her sister.

The three girls were watching as Joey had picked out another card. ‘I’ll take it. Put it on my tab, gramps.’

‘Your tab’s past due, Joey,’ Yugi’s grandpa said.

‘Then put it on Tristan’s,’ Joey reasoned.

‘Hey…’ Tristan started to say but they were interrupted when the door behind them opened. They all turned and were surprised to see who was there.

‘Please. Please, help me.’

‘Mokuba?’ Yugi asked.

***

Téa watched as Shauna handed Mokuba a mug of tea. They listened as Mokuba told them what had happened. Any technical lingo that Mokuba used, Sharee’s sister seemed to understand and immediately explained when they asked about it.

‘So you’re saying the only way Kaiba can escape is by winning the game?’ Yugi asked when Mokuba was finished.

‘But if those creeps reprogrammed the entire Adventure just to keep Kaiba trapped there, how is that possible?’ Téa asked.

‘Shauna?’ Sharee looked at her sister.

‘It’s possible to revert the programming if I got to an interface,’ Shauna said. ‘Possible, but extremely difficult.’

‘So you can help?’ Mokuba asked.

‘Calm down, Mokuba,’ Mr. Moto said. ‘We will, we will. Now tell us some more about this Virtual Pod your brother was designing.’

‘I don’t know much,’ Mokuba said. ‘I was pretty young when he started it. I remember him spending endless hours working on the prototypes, trying to make it perfect.’

‘Prototypes?’ Joey asked. ‘So there are other ones?’

Mokuba nodded. ‘In his lab. It was my brother’s dream to create the world’s ultimate virtual adventure land, but those corporate jerks turned it into a nightmare.’

Joey scratched his head and turned away. ‘Lousy suits.’

‘It’s their job to be lousy,’ Sharee muttered.

‘Well, we’ll show them like we did Pegasus,’ Joey said.

‘Huh?’ Both Téa and Mokuba asked.

Yugi stood up. ‘That’s right. We’ll use those Pod prototypes, go to that virtual world and rescue Kaiba.’

Mokuba smiled. ‘Thanks, guys.’

***

Joey was quick to follow Yugi as they ran out of the shop and into the rain, putting up their umbrellas. Sharee and Shauna followed him and kept pace with each other. For all their obvious differences, they did have some twin-y things about them.

‘We’ll be back soon, grandpa,’ Yugi called.

‘You be careful!’ Mr. Moto called.

‘We will,’ Yugi called back.

‘Wait up!’ Mokuba called as he ran at the rear. ‘You guys don’t even know the way.’

They let him take the lead and he lead them right to a building that had quite a few statues of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Needed any proof this place belonged to Kaiba, that was it. Mokuba explained as they went in.

‘This is it. My brother’s personal laboratory. He doesn’t like anyone messing around in here, but I used to sneak in all the time.’ Mokuba climbed up over the fence and unlocked it, letting them in. Then he led them on. ‘This way! This is where Seto keeps his most secret stuff.’ Once inside, they all ran on, ducking under a “no entry” barrier with a sign. They only stopped when they came to a room. Mokuba opened the door and then flicked on the lights. ‘There they are.’

‘Those are the prototypes?’ Joey asked, amazed. ‘Wow.’

Mokuba ran around behind the main computer. ‘Now, let’s see here.’ He smiled as he activated it. ‘Yup. Just like the model my brother’s in.’

Shauna walked over and knelt down, working on something. ‘Okay, let’s see…if I can access the computer core then while you’re rescuing Kaiba, I can revert the programming back to what it once was.’

‘Is that dangerous?’ Téa asked.

‘With them inside?’ Shauna responded, lifting her head so they could see her grin. ‘Not if I take safety measures before I make the changes. A few seconds at most. Who’s going and who’s staying?’

‘There are only four Pods,’ Sharee said. ‘I’m going. No way am I sitting on the sidelines in this.’

‘Still, I guess someone’s staying here.’ Joey folded his arms. ‘I say Tristan.’

Tristan shot forward and got him in a headlock. ‘And I say you.’

Mokuba walked forward. ‘I know I’m going.’

‘Mokuba,’ Joey said. ‘You’re the one who know how to work these things. You should stay here.’

Shauna lifted her head again. ‘Doesn’t look too difficult. Lever down for activation and when you win the game, you wake up.’

‘Right,’ Mokuba said. ‘I also know the most about the Virtual Adventure Land that we’re going into.’

‘Good point,’ Tristan remarked.

‘So get in.’ Joey clapped Tristan on the shoulders. ‘Take care of my gorgeous bod, pal.’ He took a bit too much delight in the mortified look he got in response.

The four of them climbed into the Pods.

‘You guys had better be careful,’ Téa said.

‘We’ll be fine, Téa,’ Joey responded.

‘Yeah, don’t you worry about a thing,’ Yugi told her. ‘We’ll have Kaiba rescued in no time.’

Joey raised his hand. ‘Tristan, let her rip.’

‘Right, here we go.’ Everything slid into place. ‘Virtual upload, now.’ He pulled back the lever and they were launched into the game.

***

Sharee thought the landing was very smooth. Soon they were walking through the forest. Yugi was looking at the device strapped to his wrist. Of course, they all had the same thing.

‘I’m glad I’ve got my duelling deck with me,’ Yugi said. ‘But this life point count makes me a bit nervous. I mean, I know what happens in a video game when you lose a life, but I wonder what happens here. Kind of a scary thought.’

‘No joke, Yug,’ Joey said.

They came to a spot and looked down. Mokuba shuddered. ‘Whoa. Speaking of scary.’

All the same, they were soon walking through the graveyard. Sharee had never been bothered by graves and “final resting places”. It was probably a throwback of being, metaphorically speaking, raised on tombs.

‘It’s hard to believe all of this is virtual and not real,’ Yugi mused.

Joey was so nervous he was just about creeping. ‘Yeah, well, it looks plenty real enough to me.’ Joey suddenly cried out in fear. ‘Zombie alert!’

‘Huh?’ The other three turned. As he’d said, there was a zombie dragging itself out of the ground. Two more jumped down and joined the first one.

Sharee took a moment to take them in and then rolled her eyes. ‘Joey, those things aren’t zombies, they’re duel monsters.’

‘Oh.’ Joey immediately calmed down. ‘So if I just draw a card, then…’ He drew and froze. ‘Then I really don’t know what.’

Sharee thought if she, Yugi and Mokuba were anime characters, they would’ve been sweat-dropping then. The zombies charged.

‘Let me show you how it’s done,’ Mokuba said and drew. ‘I summon the Rude Kaiser.’

Yugi followed his lead and drew. ‘And I summon the Dark Magician.’

‘My turn.’ Sharee drew. ‘I summon the Seven Coloured Fish!’

All three monsters exploded out of the cards and all three duellists gave the same order. ‘Attack!’ The monsters were struck and disintegrated. Joey blinked.

‘So that’s how you do it in virtual world,’ he mused.

The zombies reassembled.

‘They’re back!’ Mokuba cried.

‘I got ‘em.’ Joey drew. ‘I summon the Flame Swordsman!’ The monster appeared. ‘Go, Flaming Sword of Battle!’ But just as he called out the attack, the zombies’ attack power rose.

‘Joey!’ Both Sharee and Yugi called. But Yugi was the only one that went on. ‘Cancel your Flame Swordsman’s attack, hurry!’

But it was too late. The Swordsman attacked killed the Dragon…again. But, as Joey said: ‘That Dragon’s reforming again!’ It attacked the Swordsman and blew him away. ‘What is going on here? Every time we slay one of these zombie monsters, they come back even stronger.’

‘That’s true,’ Yugi said. ‘But no matter how strong their attacks get, they still have one major weakness. Just think about it, Joey. Remember, you’ve defeated them before.’

‘Oh, yeah!’ It seemed Joey did remember. He drew. ‘Zombies have a zero defence power so by activating shield and sword…’ He held the card up and it glowed brightly. ‘I can reverse their attack and defence points so their attack becomes zero. Okay, they’re all yours, Yug.’

Yugi gave his order to his Dark Magician. ‘Go, Dark Magic Attack!’ The Dark Magician attacked and all three zombies were destroyed – permanently.

All four of them jumped up, cheering. Something, suddenly appeared on the ground. Sharee walked over and picked it up. It was a card with a five and coins over it. ‘A scoring system?’

‘Must be,’ Yugi said.

‘Hey.’ Joey was looking at his life point indicator. ‘My life points aren’t going back up.’

‘That sure can’t be good, can it?’ Mokuba remarked.

‘Man,’ Joey remarked. ‘I guess these virtual monsters are playing for keeps, huh?’

Their attention was drawn by nervous tittering. They wandered over to a fairy that was hiding behind one of the crumbled headstones. Sharee smiled. If Shauna was here, she’d be cooing over the thing.

‘What is that thing?’ Mokuba asked.

‘Hey, I bet it’s one of them fairies that they put in these games to help the players out,’ Joey said, pointing at it. The fairy shot off. ‘Quick, let’s follow it.’ They ran after it. ‘Ah, I can’t keep up.’ As they came out of the forest that the graveyard was in, the fairy had disappeared. Joey seemed annoyed. ‘That slippery little sprite!’

‘Oh, look!’ Mokuba ran over to the ledge.

‘What is it, Mokuba?’ Joey asked as they ran over. ‘Did you find him?’

‘No,’ Mokuba said. ‘But I think I found what it was trying to show us.’

Yugi looked amazed. ‘Wow, it’s an entire virtual town!’

Joey grinned. ‘Let’s go and explore it.’

That town down there looked like any one of the towns that could have been in Egypt, any place her father took her. The stalls didn’t really bother her, especially with a lot of the wares. On the other hand, the boys didn’t seem so used to it.

Joey made a sound of disgust. ‘I’m glad we ate before we got here.’

‘Don’t insult the locals!’ Sharee called back. ‘You’ll start a riot.’

‘Check this out, Joey!’ Yugi had found the duelling cards.

‘Cool!’ Joey leaned forward and examined one. ‘Hey, this might come in handy here.’

Sharee smashed her hand on his face impatiently. ‘Please control yourself, blondie. Look at the price.’

Joey looked down. ‘Two thousand points?’ He looked at her. ‘How many do we have?’

‘Five each,’ she said.

‘Five?’ Joey demanded.

‘Besides, we’re supposed to be looking for Kaiba,’ Sharee said. ‘We should split up and comb this town for clues.’

Yugi nodded. ‘Search every street. Question every virtual person you see. Somebody must’ve spotted him or know something about what happened to him. Someone, somewhere, can help us. That’s the way these games work. When we’re done, let’s meet back at the water fountain.’

Sharee spent the better part of her time, looking through the northern part of town. The most eventful thing to happen was some big guy took offence to her asking. All it took to get a simple “I didn’t see anything” was knocking him flat and pinning him by one of his pressure points.

Sharee arrived at the fountain to hear this.

‘So, Joey, did you find anything?’

‘Yeah, I found out I hate virtual dogs.’

Sharee chuckled and walked over. She first grabbed the animal around the middle and the neck, ensuring it could still breathe. Naturally, it let go of him to snarl and snap at her but Sharee knew how to handle these animals. She lifted it and held it in the air. It yelped and its legs paddled in the air.

‘Bye-bye, doggy!’ That said, she threw it out onto the street. She would have thrown it into the fountain but she knew, virtual or not, people view that as drinking water. The animal scampered off.

Mokuba had come over while all this was happening. ‘Guys, I got a great lead!’ He led them to the edge of the town. ‘See that mountain? One old woman I was talking to said that she saw a man with a prisoner headed there this morning. Supposedly, there’s some kind of ancient temple at the top and the only way to get there is by crossing this desert.’

‘Crossing the desert, huh?’ Sharee asked, taking in the turbulent weather that was raging before them. ‘I seriously hope you’re not thinking of walking through that, cause we wouldn’t even get half-way.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘That’s a permanent sandstorm.’

‘We don’t have much choice!’ Mokuba ran out.

‘Wait for us!’ Yugi called.

Sharee watched him and Joey run after the kid. In the real world, that was a very stupid thing to do. They’d die of dehydration, but this was virtual world. Curious, Sharee walked over to the nearest building and promptly walked into the wall.

Pain shot through her nose and she rubbed it.

‘Uh…Sharee, what’d you do that for?’ Shauna’s voice echoed down.

‘You sound a bit like a God,’ Sharee muttered, rubbing her throbbing nose. ‘I don’t even want to know how you pulled this off. I wanted to see if pain and human weakness still registered. Apparently it does. They’re gonna dehydrate out there. Can you check to see what’ll happen then?’

Sharee waited a few minutes. ‘They’ll be transported back to the water fountain.’

‘Guess I better find an alternate route then.’ Sharee looked at her watch and started working out how long she had.

***

Yugi woke up to find himself back by the water fountain. Joey and Mokuba were also getting up. Sharee was leaning on the edge. She smiled smugly. Well, she had said it was impossible to walk across that desert. And, come to think of it, Yami had been warning him against it.

‘See?’ Sharee asked. ‘Impossible.’ She straightened up. ‘While you three were trying to defy the laws of physics, I found the actual way we’re supposed to get across there.’

‘How?’ Mokuba was on his feet in an instant.

‘Come on.’ Sharee smiled and started walking. Yugi and Joey stood. All three of them hurried after her.

***

Téa turned to Tristan. Apart from contacting Sharee to find out why she’d walked into a wall, on purpose, Shauna was busy at the computer. At least she was occupied. Téa and Tristan had nothing to do.

‘They’ve been gone a long time,’ Téa said. ‘I hope they’re okay.’

Tristan looked at her. ‘Don’t you worry. I once saw Joey play a video game for three days straight without blinking or nothing.’

‘Really?’ Téa asked. ‘Figures.’

Tristan suddenly stood up. ‘Téa, I know what’ll make all this waiting around go by faster. A game and it’s called “Guess My Facial Hair”. Go right ahead.’

‘Are you serious?’ Shauna asked, not looking up from her work.

Téa looked at him, slightly disturbed. ‘Ew. Eh, I think I’ll pass.’

‘Aw, come on,’ Tristan said. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed my fine beard growing in. I’ve got like eight whiskers. Here, take a feel.’

Now, she was getting irritated. ‘Tristan, please!’

‘Ah, the pride of a boy growing his first beard,’ Shauna remarked. She suddenly froze in what she was doing. ‘Hey, did you guys hear that?’

Tristan and Téa looked at her. ‘Hear what?’

Shauna stood as they heard a bang. All three of them slipped to the door and quietly opened it. They could see a group of men entering from the other end. They were talking loudly amongst themselves, clearly with no fear of being stopped.

‘They’ll be here to unplug the Pods.’ Shauna spoke urgently. ‘Let’s barricade the door and see if we can find some weapons. If I had known they were coming I could’ve electrified this.’

‘Then why don’t you?’ asked Tristan as they closed the door and began shifting a desk in front of it.

Shauna shook her head. ‘Not enough time.’

***

Sharee stopped by the sign.

‘It’s an announcement of a contest!’ Yugi exclaimed.

‘Fame, glory and the prized New Atori card await the heroic warrior who can beat our champion.’ Mokuba read the sign. ‘Signed the Grand Battle Chief and Combat Fitter of Shadow Coliseum.’

They all looked at Sharee. She grinned. ‘Never could be easy. We’ll have to duel for it.’

‘Yes!’ Joey cheered. ‘Let’s sign up.’

***

Although it had been Joey’s suggestion, he wasn’t impressed with the outfit he had to wear for it. The cape he could live with, but the pig’s head he could’ve done without. The Champion was wearing a butterfly mask and was carried in on a platform. It was a woman too.

The woman – who looked very familiar – leapt down to begin the duel.


	44. Legendary Heroes Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mai joins the quest.

_**That’s Mai.** _

‘Huh?’ Sharee’s feet had been up on the barrier in front of her as she lounged in her seat. She pulled them down and leaned forward. ‘Well, late and great. So it is.’

‘Huh?’ Mokuba and Yugi looked at her.

‘That duellist is Mai,’ Sharee said.

‘Who?’ Mokuba asked.

‘Are you sure?’ Yugi looked at her again.

It was soon answered. Joey, it seemed, easily recognised her strategy and identified her. As soon as the masks came off, Sharee was the first to jump the fence. Yugi and Mokuba followed. In a few moments, after telling Mai why they were there and she used the Harpy Lady to snatch the New Atori card , they were running.

Of course, they had angry townspeople after them. Sharee drew. ‘This is ridiculous. Time I exercised a little crowd control!’ The trap card in her hand glowed and a chasm opened up between them and the virtual people. A few fell into it but that was neither here nor there to her.

‘Cool!’ Joey called. ‘By the time they get around that, we’ll be across the desert!’

Soon they stood at the edge of the desert again.

‘Okay,’ Joey said. ‘Time to see if this card will work like the old man said it would.’ He turned. ‘Will you do the honours, Mai?’

Mai nodded and held up the card. It activated and five of the New Atoris appeared in front of them.

Joey grinned. ‘Let’s giddy-up!’

‘You say that for a horse.’ Sharee ran forward and hopped onto the back of one.

They were soon making their way across the desert and Mai was telling them why she was in the game.

‘So you’re saying Kaiba Corp paid you to come here, Mai?’ Joey asked.

‘That’s right,’ she said.

‘Wonder why,’ Joey mused.

Mokuba theorised. ‘Probably to test it. To make sure everything would go according to plan when they used it on my brother. Still, they couldn’t have planned on all of us.’

‘I’d say so.’ Sharee agreed. ‘That’s why I don’t make plans. You can’t anticipate on what everyone’s going to do. You’ll overestimate someone or underestimate them.’

‘Huh?’ Mokuba suddenly spotted something. ‘Look over there!’ A sand geyser shot out of the ground.

‘It’s an earthquake!’ Mai yelled.

‘It’s worse!’ Sharee pointed.

‘It’s another obstacle programmed into the game,’ Yugi stated.

‘What is it?’ Joey called. The ground cracked open and a duel monster rose up. ‘Oh, no! It’s a Sandstorm Monster.’

‘We’re never gonna get past that,’ Mokuba insisted.

‘Never say “never”,’ Sharee said.

‘All right, then.’ Joey drew and activated the card. ‘I’ll kick over this sandcastle with my Red Eyes Black Dragon! Red Eyes Black Dragon, Inferno Fire Blast!’ The Red Eyes attacked and the blast destroyed the monster. They all cheered. ‘And bye-bye.’

The sandstorm cleared and Sharee leaned forward. ‘Is that a building?’

‘Some sort of ancient temple,’ Yugi said. ‘That must be what we’re looking for.’

Mai turned to Mokuba. ‘Is that where they’re keeping Kaiba?’

‘An old woman told us.’ Mokuba pointed. ‘It was the temple across the desert, so that’s gotta be it. Seto’s gotta be there.’

They rode their New Atoris forward again.

‘Go, Drumsticks!’ Joey hollered.

Mai glanced at him. ‘Uh…guys, Joey named his chicken.’

‘It’s a New Atori, Mai,’ Joey said irritably.

Sharee smirked. ‘Let’s compromise. It’s a New Atori chicken.’

***

‘Wow,’ Joey said. ‘Look at the size of that thing.’

Mai sighed. ‘Here at last.’ The sand was really going to be a pain to wash out…oh, yeah. It was virtual sand. She wouldn’t have to wash it out at all.

Mokuba jumped down impatiently and ran in.

‘Mokuba!’ Joey called. ‘Hold up!’

Mokuba just kept running. ‘I’m coming, Seto!’

‘There’s no stopping him,’ Joey said. ‘Come on, or else we’re gonna lose both of them Kaiba brothers.’

***

‘Sheesh, this temple’s seen better days!’ And Joey meant it. The inside of the temple looked like some kind of cave.

‘Definitely creepy.’ Mai looked around.

‘Yeah,’ Yugi said. ‘Let’s try and stick together.’

‘Okay.’ Mokuba sounded reluctant but that was probably because he wanted to rush off and find his brother.

They came to a giant set of doors and Joey walked over to them. ‘Allow me.’ He pushed them open, finding them lighter than he’d expected. Regardless of that, they were still reasonably heavy. When they stepped through, Joey gasped. ‘It’s a labyrinth dungeon. It’s like when we duelled those weirdo Paradox brothers, huh, Yug?’ They all spun around as the doors closed behind them. Joey went back and slammed his fists on the wood. ‘No use. Locked tight.’

‘I’m totally freaked,’ Mai said. Joey didn’t know why that worried him.

But Yugi kept calm. ‘It’s all right. Remember that this is all a game and we’d never reach the end of this adventure by going backwards anyway.’ He turned. ‘Which means, we gotta go through that maze to find Kaiba.’

A feminine scream ripped through the labyrinth. They all looked at each other.

‘Someone’s in trouble,’ Yugi said.

Joey ran right past them. ‘I’m on it!’

***

Yugi watched Joey run off as Mai yelled at him.

‘Watch where you’re going, Joey!’ She huffed. ‘Ugh! That doofus will do anything to meet a girl. I guess he realises I’m way out of his league.’

Something suddenly burst out of the wall to their left and they all spun around. Attack and defence power appeared over it.

‘What now?’ Mai demanded.

‘A Labyrinth Tank,’ Sharee said.

‘Run!’ Yugi yelled and they all turned on their heels and bolted.

‘It’s gaining on us!’ Mokuba insisted.

They soon caught up with Joey who was lost as to which was to go. Mai called out to him. ‘Joey, watch out!’

‘Joey!’ Yugi called when that failed to get his attention.

‘What?’ Joey turned around.

‘Gotta go now!’ Yugi insisted.

‘Make way!’ Joey yelled, bolting just as they caught up with him.

Another Labyrinth Tank came around the corner in front of them. They all skidded to a stop.

‘Another one!’ Mokuba cried.

‘There’s no way we’re getting by that thing!’ Joey reached for his deck.

Yugi turned. ‘There’s Tanks coming from every direction. We’re boxed in.’ There was a Labyrinth Tank on their every side.

‘Okay,’ Joey said. ‘Anybody here got a plan?’

‘Yeah, get past those tanks,’ Yugi responded.

Joey looked back at him. ‘You got a plan B? Otherwise we’re gonna have more holes in us than Swiss cheese.’

‘How about a magic act?’ Sharee suggested.

‘Good idea.’ Yugi drew. ‘I’ll use my Magical Hats.’ One of the Hats appeared and they were transported.

Joey sniggered. ‘I love that trick! You got us outta there just in time. Now let’s move this party.’ Wherever they were, they started moving the Hat.

‘Ow!’ Mai complained. ‘Joey, that’s my foot.’

‘Sorry.’ As Joey said that, the Hat disappeared. ‘Ah, now we’re in the clear. Some nice thinking there, you two.’

Suddenly they heard rumbling. Mai was quick to identify it. ‘Guys, the Tanks are coming after us!’

‘Which way to we go?’ Mokuba demanded.

At that moment, the fairy came down. Sharee nodded. ‘Follow the fairy.’ As it flew off again this time, she was quick to follow it. The others were on her heels.

‘Think she can lead us to my brother?’ Mokuba asked.

***

‘Iru, you’re back!’

When Sharee did stop, it was because the fairy had brought them to someone. If she was right, this character was based off of Mokuba. While female, it did look almost exactly like him. Dressed from head to toe in finery. Royalty.

Sharee slammed her hands up only to stop her friends. She was aware that some protocols existed when one addressed or were in audience with such people.

‘Who’s that?’ Joey demanded.

The royal…girl, Sharee saw, held her hands out for the fairy to land in. She looked startled when she saw them, though.

‘Check it out, Mokuba…’ Joey started, but he was stopped by Sharee’s elbow in his ribs.

Mokuba stepped past him and addressed his female double. ‘We heard someone scream. Are you all right?’

‘I lost Iru, my guide,’ the girl said.

‘Well, we’re all here now,’ Joey said. ‘So can you get us out of this rat trap?’

The girl shook her head. ‘I’m lost too.’

Sharee held up a finger before anyone could respond and listened. ‘Give me a minute.’ If there was a lost royal, then there ought to be some guards around somewhere. Sure enough, she soon heard the sound. _Chink, chink, chink._ Sharee opened her eyes, raised her fingers to her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Everyone jumped.

‘What’d you do that for?’ Mai asked.

‘I can hear armour,’ Sharee said. She looked at the girl. ‘I assume they’re yours.’

Cries of alarm suddenly reached their ears. Sharee led the way, following the source of the sound.

‘I see the end of the maze!’ Mokuba called.

‘All right!’ Joey cheered. ‘We’re home-free!’

Sharee saw it first. _Famous last words._ She stopped and the rest of them stopped around her. ‘The Gate Guardian.’

‘Did I say “home-free”?’ Joey asked. ‘I meant “in deep trouble”.’

‘I can’t think of anything that’ll beat a monster that strong!’ Mai insisted.

‘No sweat.’ Sharee waved her hand. ‘Yugi and Joey beat this guy in a duel once. Care to do the honours, boys?’ She stepped back.

‘Right on,’ said Joey. ‘We’ll team up.’

‘Let’s go.’

Joey held up his card. ‘I’ll combine my Red Eyes Black Dragon…’

Yugi drew two cards. ‘With my Summoned Skull…’

They both spoke at once. ‘And fuse them with a polymerisation card to form the Black Skull Dragon.’ The beast in question appeared on the field.

‘Great try, guys,’ Mai said. ‘But we still need even more attack power. I hate this! Everything’s rigged against us.’

‘Just wait.’ Joey pulled out another card. ‘I still got Dragon Nails. It raises our attack power by 700 points.’ Now the Dragon was 200 points stronger than the Guardian. ‘Molten Fireball attack!’ Their monster shot the blast and destroyed the Gate Guardian.

‘That’s amazing,’ the royal girl said. ‘You’re all so brave, so much like the heroes of legend.’

Joey rubbed his finger under his nose. ‘It was nothing.’

‘Heroes of legend?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee could see some unconscious armoured men a little way off. At least, she hoped they were only unconscious. But the chinking sound was back and, this time, there were cries for “my lady”. The lights of many torches shone. Sharee listened carefully and heard “my Lady Adina”. Sure enough, more armoured guards and what looked like an elderly lady-in-waiting came into view.

‘Fana!’ Adina called.

The woman spoke. ‘My lady, we’ve been worried sick about you.’ She suddenly noticed them. ‘Oh? I see you’ve made some new friends.’

Adina turned to them. ‘They saved me. They’re the bravest warriors I’ve ever seen.’

They all grinned sheepishly. The whole battalion as well as the lady-in-waiting gasped in surprise.

Adina turned to them. ‘As thanks, I’d like to invite them as guests to the palace.’

Sharee smiled. _Thought so._

***

Kaiba’s head throbbed as he came to and he opened his eyes. ‘Where…am I?’

‘You’re with me, Seto Kaiba.’

Kaiba looked up to see a personified duel monster rising out of the ground. His eyes narrowed. ‘Witty Phantom. You took me prisoner in my own game?’

‘Yes.’ The Witty Phantom bowed.

‘Then release me,’ Kaiba said. ‘I command you to.’

The Witty Phantom put his hat on his head. ‘This is no longer your world to command. Your game’s been reprogrammed. You’re late to the party, Kaiba.’

‘Gee, I never liked parties,’ Kaiba remarked sarcastically.

‘But you’re the guest of honour,’ the Witty Phantom said. ‘Or at least you will be. Very soon.’ He turned away. ‘You see, Kaiba, you will have the great privilege of being our offering to the Mythic Dragon. Til then your misery will be in my capable hands.’ He bowed.

‘That’s enough! Override protocol. End this simulation.’ Nothing happened.

The Witty Phantom clicked his tongue and waved his finger. ‘I told you things have changed. Your code’s been rewritten and now all your silly precautions are a thing of the past.’   
He tipped his hat. ‘Now, excuse me, there’s so much to do before the other offering is brought here.’

Kaiba frowned. ‘Another offering?’

‘I know you love the spotlight…’ The Witty Phantom turned and walked away. ‘…But you’ll just have to share.’ He chuckled.

‘Come back!’ But it was too late. He was gone.

***

‘I’ve travelled by horse-drawn carriage before, but this is…just stupid.’

Yugi looked over at Sharee. She was sitting next to Mokuba, staring out the window. Her brow was furrowed.

‘What’s stupid about it?’ Mai asked. ‘I like Adina. At least she knows how to travel in high style.’

‘That’s true,’ Yugi said. ‘Mokuba, you should be flattered that Kaiba based such a cool character on you.’

‘On me?’ Mokuba asked.

Sharee chuckled.

Joey leaned forward, grinning. ‘Yeah. On you, my _lady_!’

‘Hey!’ Mokuba turned, irritated.

But before he could say anything else Yugi spotted where they were going. ‘Oh, look at that!’

They all looked out the window.

‘Whoa!’ Joey exclaimed. ‘Excellent. I hope they got food in this game.’

‘Gee, I just hope they can help us,’ Mokuba said. ‘We need to find Seto.’

***

Mai was surprised, though, when they were entering the palace and all the guards held out their lances as a sign of respect towards Adina. A glance at Sharee and Mai had a feeling she’d already guessed what the rest of them had overlooked. Adina was a person of some importance. Sharee was just looking at the palace grounds in interest.

‘Check out this pad,’ Joey said. ‘Whoa.’

At that moment, the fairy from before came and sat on Yugi’s head.

Adina smiled and turned her head. ‘It seems Iru has taken a liking to you.’

‘Is this your palace?’ Yugi asked.

Adina stopped and turned. ‘Why, yes. I am the princess of this land, Sinlow. Princess Adina.’ She bowed in courtesy.

‘Princess?’ Asked Mai, Joey, Yugi and Mokuba. Sharee just nodded to herself as thought this confirmed what she had already suspected.

***

‘Careful everyone,’ Mai said. ‘Keep your hands and feet away from Joey’s mouth.’

Sharee looked up over the rim of her goblet. She smiled to herself. Mai was right. Joey was a one-man munching crew. She was actually sort of glad that meat wasn’t alive. Poor thing would be in agony.

Absolutely no table manners.

Then he started choking on it.

‘Are you okay?’ Mai asked.

But he was. Once he got the food down, he said, ‘Happens all the time.’ He chuckled.

‘Disgusting,’ Mai said.

Mokuba turned. ‘Princess Adina, do you have any news of my brother, Seto?’

Princess Adina looked worried. ‘Well, I didn’t want to say anything before but people often disappear when it is time for the offerings.’

‘Offerings?’ Yugi asked.

Sharee set her goblet down. She didn’t like the sound of this.

‘What do you mean?’ Mai asked.

‘Every year, at this time, offerings are collected from this and another kingdom so that the Mythic Dragon can be resurrected,’ Princess Adina said.

‘The Mythic Dragon?’ Yugi asked. He hadn’t heard of that duel monster before but he didn’t doubt they’d end up fighting it.

‘The other kingdom has already given up their offering,’ Princess Adina explained. ‘Some stranger from a distant land.’

‘That’s Seto!’ Mokuba insisted. ‘Please, tell me where he is.’

‘He is in a dark castle floating in the sky,’ Princess Adina said.

‘Dark Castle?’ Mokuba asked.

‘Like the Castle of Dark Illusions, do you think?’ Sharee suggested.

‘That painting tells the tale.’ Princess Adina looked behind them. They all turned. ‘We have passed down the legend for generations. Long ago, a hero escaped that dreaded castle on his flying machine. It is said he hid his vessel in Sinlow a thousand years ago. It was never found and there’s no other way to reach the Dark Castle.’

‘We could fly there on Joey’s dragon,’ Mai suggested.

‘A magic barrier protects the castle,’ Princess Adina explained. ‘No duel monsters can penetrate it.’

‘Oh, no.’ Mokuba frowned.

Sharee looked at the painting. ‘Have the kingdom’s boarders changed since the hero escaped?’

‘Why, yes,’ Princess Adina said. ‘They have. As a matter of fact, there are ruins not far from the castle that used to be a part of old Sinlow.’

‘Right.’ Sharee rubbed her chin. ‘If I was going to hide a flying machine in a kingdom where it wouldn’t be found…where would I put it?’ She pondered for a minute and lifted her head. ‘Underground cavern. Block off the entrance.’

Mai looked at her and then at Princess Adina. ‘So what are you going to do about your offering?’

Princess Adina and her lady-in-waiting looked startled. The woman put her handkerchief to her eye. Princess Adina looked down and answered. ‘Ah, well…I volunteered.’ Yugi, Joey, Mai and Mokuba gasped. Sharee frowned. Figured there’d be something like that. Princess Adina spoke again. ‘But don’t worry about my fate, for with the legend comes a prophecy. And it predicts that epic heroes will come to Sinlow from beyond the distant mountains. It is these great heroes united who will create a power that is strong enough to destroy the Mythic Dragon.’

‘Are you saying that you think that that’s us?’ Yugi asked.

Mai sounded confused too. ‘You think…we’re the epic heroes from the prophecy?’

‘Yes.’ Princess Adina nodded. ‘On your shoulders rests the fate of our kingdom.’

Joey hollered in triumph. ‘All right, now! Super Joey is here to save the day.’

Mai gave him a flat look. ‘Super dork’s more like it. This isn’t an eating contest, Joey. This is dangerous.’

‘Whatever,’ Joey said. ‘We gotta go duel that Mythic Dragon to rescue Kaiba anyway, right? Way I see it, there’s no choice.’

Yugi nodded and so did Mokuba.

‘To properly prepare you, we will adorn you in the manner of our greatest heroes,’ Princess Adina said.

Sharee grinned. That meant “dress-up”. A few hours later, she walked into the room where Yugi and Mai were. Her outfit was a navy blue dress with a pleated knee-length skirt, knee-high boots and twin swords strapped to her back. Sharee was just tucking her slingshot into her waistband as well.

‘Hey, guys,’ she said.

‘Hello, Sharee.’ Yugi was fiddling with the cape he had on.

‘Hey.’ Mai turned around. She seemed to be enjoying it as much as Sharee was. Mai patted the sword on her waist. ‘A girl like me could get used to this. How’d you make out, Yugi?’

Yugi turned around. ‘Well, I feel a bit silly.’

 _ **If he feels silly in that…I get the feeling he’d hate what Yami used to wear when we were alive.**_ Sharee just smirked to herself.

‘Silly?’ Mai asked. ‘I think you look just great.’

‘If you say so.’ Yugi sat on a nearby crate. ‘You know, Mai, Kaiba Corps execs have reprogrammed this game. You could be putting yourself in danger.’

Mai walked over, still smiling. ‘Yugi, did you check me out? I look way too good to be sitting at home.’

Yugi blushed a bit. ‘You’re okay, Mai.’

Mai turned. ‘Where’s Joey, anyway?’

Joey stuck his head out of the curtains, blushing. ‘Back here. And back here is just where I’m staying too.’

‘Aw, come on!’ Sharee groaned. ‘It can’t be that bad. Just a little traditional dress.’

‘Yeah, don’t be such a wimp,’ Mai said.

Joey shoved the curtain aside. ‘I’m wearing a bathroom rug, Mai.’ It all of Sharee’s willpower not to burst out laughing.

The lady-in-waiting spoke from behind them. ‘But, Joey, this is the traditional garb of our greatest national hero.’

Sharee cleared her throat. ‘I’m sorry. He’s not used to this kind of thing.’

Suddenly, lightning cracked outside. Just a moment before it’d been sunny.

‘Lightning?’ Joey asked.

‘I guess they’re arriving,’ Sharee said. ‘Shall we go up?’

Their group went up to the battlements. Mokuba and Princess Adina joined them. The lady-in-waiting warned the princess not to be out here. Sharee looked at them and immediately noticed. So when the net came out and grabbed “Princess Adina”, she was the only one not surprised to find the two had swapped clothes so the Princess wouldn’t be grabbed.

Yugi was the first one to spot them. ‘Hey, guys, look! Down there! Ancient ruins.’

‘What do you see, Yug?’ Joey asked.

‘They must’ve been uncovered by the storm,’ Yugi said.

Sharee nodded. ‘And, look. That marking on the ground looks just like the ancient flying machine, meaning…’ She let Yugi finish that one.

‘Meaning that’s where it is.’

‘But, even if it’s buried under there it must be a fossil by now,’ Joey said. ‘How can we ever restore it?’

‘I don’t know but it’s our only hope of rescuing the Kaiba brothers,’ Yugi said.

Sharee nodded. ‘First step is to get down there.’

***

Yugi stood with his friends on the ruins, over the mark of the flying machine.

‘Yug, this is hopeless,’ Joey said. ‘There’s no way a plane that old is going to fly.’

But Yugi already had this all worked out. ‘No, it won’t. But that’s why we have to restore it to the way it was a thousand years ago.’

‘Restore it?’ Joey asked. ‘But how’s that possible?’

Mai got it. ‘Of course! Don’t you get it, Joey?’

‘The Time Wizard,’ Sharee said.

‘Exactly.’ Yugi turned to Joey. ‘If the passage of time corroded the flying machine, then turning back the clock will make it as good as new.’

Joey drew the Time Wizard. ‘You’re right. It can make things the way they were a thousand years ago. But…if the hand lands on a skull, it’ll take our life points.’

‘We’ve got to risk it,’ Yugi said. ‘Seto and Mokuba’s future hang in the balance.’

Mai nodded.

‘Here goes nothing. Come on, Time Wizard.’ Joey activated the card. ‘Take these ruins back a thousand years. Time Magic!’

The Time Wizard appeared in the air. ‘Time Magic!’ The ground began to shake and the around outside the ruins glowed.

‘Something’s happening,’ Mai said.

The structures around them seemed to de-age, coming back together.

‘Joey, I think it’s working,’ Yugi stated.

‘The ruins!’ Joey looked around. ‘They’re rebuilding themselves!’

‘No, Joey,’ Sharee said.

Yugi grinned. ‘Time is rebuilding them.’

When it finally stopped, they all looked around.

‘Old Sinlow,’ Mai mused. ‘It’s…It’s beautiful.’

‘Ah,’ Joey complained. ‘It didn’t work.’

Suddenly the ground underneath them began to shake again. Something was coming out. Yugi fought to keep his balance. ‘I think you spoke too soon, Joey! Something’s happening! What?’

‘I’d say this is the flying machine!’ Sharee called over the noise as the ground cracked under their feet and lifted up. They all fell.

***

‘I can’t hold them!’

Téa, Shauna and Tristan pushed against their barricades as the goons tried to get through the doors.

‘Girls, we’re in big trouble here,’ Tristan said.

‘We’ve got to hang on.’ Téa looked back over her shoulder. ‘Yugi, come back soon! Or you might not be able to come back at all!’


	45. Legendary Heroes Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The virtual adventure draws to a close.

Sharee’s butt ached, but she could still feel it – which couldn’t be said for every fall she’d ever taken. But Shamee was laughing in her head. Times like this, she wished her friend was corporeal. That was, she could glare at her.

Joey was looking around. ‘Wow. We’re flying. I guess that Time Wizard must’ve done the trick!’

‘Yeah.’ Yugi nodded.

‘You did it!’ Mai cried as she hugged him. Joey’s reaction made Sharee snigger, but only for a moment. She became aware that Shamee was in her mind, watching thoughtfully.  
 _What’s wrong?_

 _ **Nothing.**_ It could have been her imagination, but she swore there was something in Shamee’s tone. _**Not a thing.**_

Cheering from below suddenly got their attention. The four of them jumped to their feet and ran to the side of the flying machine. The people below were all cheering and calling out to them.

‘Whoa,’ Joey said. ‘Talk about a “Bon Voyage”.’

‘Really,’ Sharee remarked. ‘Mind you, nearly all my relatives would love this.’ She looked around.

Yugi grinned at her and then waved. ‘So long, everyone!’

‘Hey, look who it is,’ Joey said as their little fairy friend flew towards them. She stopped in front of Yugi.

‘Iru,’ he said. ‘I guess this means you wanna come with us?’

Iru nodded.

‘All right, then,’ Yugi said as they all turned to the Castle of Dark Illusions. ‘Kaiba, we’re on our way!’

Joey bolted for the steering wheel at the head of the machine. ‘I’m driving! I called it! I’m driving!’

Sharee chuckled. ‘Who’s arguing?’

‘Okay, let’s go!’ Joey spun the wheel. They lifted up into the air. ‘And we are off!’

***

‘I see an opening!’ One of the goons reached his hand through.

Shauna came over Téa’s shoulder and slammed a bar of some kind down. The goon screamed and pulled back. It seemed safe to assume that she’d hit a pressure point. Sharee had said something about her father teaching her that. If he taught one daughter, why not the other one?

‘We’re getting in there, you little thumb-suckers,’ Kimo said from the other side. ‘Just you wait.’

‘No way,’ Tristan said. ‘Our friends are on a rescue mission and you’re not yanking them out of it.’

***

‘Uh, this is your captain speaking,’ Joey said as they broke through the cloud bank. ‘If you’ll direct your attention to the left side of our aircraft, you’re gonna see that freaky floating castle, some clouds and what appears to be a ferocious swarm of winged monsters ready to devour us!’

‘Hang on!’ Yugi called.

‘Here they come!’ Joey added.

‘And here they go!’ Sharee pulled a card from her deck. ‘Dark Witch!’ The card glowed and her monster took form.

Mai was the next to draw. ‘Attack, Harpy Lady!’

Both female monsters sailed into the fray and began destroying the monsters.

Joey drew his own card. ‘Attack, Fierce Knight!’ Giltia emerged from the card and joined the battle.

Yugi pulled out his card and raised it above his head. ‘Dark Magician, attack!’ He emerged and swept through the opponents.

‘All right!’ Joey tried to steer through the fight. ‘Our monsters are kicking butt!’ The machine shook. And it didn’t stop. ‘Something’s hitting us!’

Sharee rushed over and looked over the safety rails. ‘Air mines!’

Yugi hit the floor. Sharee spun around just in time to see one of the monsters coming at him. Mai called out a warning. Too far away, the Dark Magician spun around with a horrified expression. The emotionalism certain Duel Monsters had for this group, Sharee didn’t quite understand.

Iru suddenly got in the monster’s path.

‘Iru!’ Yugi called.

The Dark Magician shot over and destroyed the monster in question. Yugi jumped to his feet and pulled another card. ‘Swords of Revealing Light!’ The swords appeared and their opponents were all frozen.

‘That stopped them monsters cold,’ Joey said.

Yugi moved over and lifted up the tiny fairy. Sharee slowly walked over as he asked, ‘Are you okay?’ Tears threatened to flow over. ‘Iru, say something.’

But Iru just smiled and was reduced to golden pixels. She floated up into the sky. Even Sharee, who had seen many people die – especially when treasure hunters came to call –felt a painful pang in her heart.

‘No! She’s been digitised.’ Yugi’s tears fell as his hands clenched into fists. His anger was painfully clear in his voice now. ‘I’ve had enough!’ He was on his feet in the next instant.   
‘YU-GI-OH!’

Sharee felt the shift. She stepped back and allowed Shamee control over her body.

***

Yami opened his eyes. ‘All right, Joey. Charge ahead.’

Joey grabbed the steering wheel and did exactly that. As they hit the barrier, electric sparks shot out. All four of them cringed as they felt the shockwaves. But Joey pushed on determinedly.

‘Oh, no!’ Mai cried. ‘We’ve hit the magical barrier!’

Joey was quick to respond, or perhaps reassure. ‘Well, if this ship lives up to its legend, then we should be able to pass right through.’ Sure enough, the ship did pass right through the barrier. Joey clenched his fist victoriously. ‘It worked! We made it guys, we’re almost home-free. We’re almost to the Castle of Dark Illusions!’

Yami’s eyes narrowed. ‘Not quite yet. Turn!’

Joey spun the wheel. Fire came out of the mouth of the Castle and hit their wing.

‘You and your last words,’ Shamee said as fire came out again. ‘Joey, I think we’re being attacked by Salamandra.’

‘We are,’ Yami said.

‘Harpy, attack!’ Mai ordered. The monster in question did and the Salamandra was destroyed.

‘Nuts.’ Joey looked over his shoulder. ‘We got hit!’

Mai gasped while the two ancients ground their teeth.

‘No!’ Yami yelled.

‘She’s falling apart!’ Joey cried as a piece of wood detached and flew right at them. ‘Abandon shiiiip!’

Yami drew. ‘Hang on! Winged Guardian of the Fortress!’

Seconds later, they were all riding on the Guardian’s back as she flew to safety.

Joey exhaled. ‘That was some quick-thinking, Yug.’

Mai’s Harpy Ladies rose up with them, bringing Giltia the Knight and the Dark Magician with them. The four of them looked back and watched as the flying machine exploded beneath them.

‘Close call,’ Mai said.

Joey was the first to look forward. ‘Kaiba, here we come.’

***

To be honest, Kaiba was quite proud of Mokuba throughout this whole ordeal. And, even though he wasn’t impressed with Yugi Moto and Company getting involved, he supposed Mokuba did have a point. He was a twelve year old boy.

Getting this all done by himself was really a stretch.

And Yugi and Sharee had proved quite competent before. On top of that, they had an unnatural inclination to help people – even those people that they really didn’t like. He was one such person. They really were the best people to turn to.

Not that he’d admit that in a million years.

Of course, to get out of the game, he had to wait for them to get there.

***

‘What on Earth? A floating castle with its own forest?’ Joey demanded as they ran through the aforementioned forest. ‘I think maybe Kaiba ought to spend more time in reality.’

Shamee scowled. ‘Joey, we don’t have time for sightseeing.’

‘Keep your guard up,’ Yami said.

‘Look!’ Mai pointed as they ran.

As soon as they saw what she did, they all stopped. Shamee liked the look of that less than she had of the swarm of flying Duel Monsters. And did there have to be so many Ra-forsaken many of them?

‘Cocoons of Evolution,’ Mai said.

There was also a loud noise in the air.

‘But why are they buzzing?’ Joey asked.

‘That’s not the Cocoons,’ Shamee said. As soon as she shut her mouth, the actual culprits rose up and charged at them.

‘It’s a whole swarm of Killer Needles!’ Mai cried.

‘Not a problem,’ Joey said. ‘Attack, Fierce Knight!’ His monster immediately charged through, destroying the bugs. But then he was attacked by a Man-Eater Bug, that jumped out of practically nowhere. Both shattered.

‘My Knight,’ Joey said.

‘Man-Eaters,’ Yami stated. ‘This must be one huge Bug Fest.’

‘Eh?’ Joey asked. ‘Incoming!’ There were more Killer Needles coming at them.

Yami drew. ‘Stand strong.’ He raised the card. ‘Go, Mirror Force!’ The trap card activated and the bugs were not only repelled, but destroyed as well.

They lit on fire and dropped, which moved to the…

‘That fire,’ Mai cried. ‘It’s disturbing the Cocoons! They’re hatching!’ As she spoke, Great Moths began to emerge. ‘And they’re full of more creatures!’

‘Man.’ Joey stepped back. ‘No way we’re gonna be able to take down all of them Great Moths.’

Shamee rolled her eyes.

‘No.’ Yami drew two cards. ‘It can be done, Joey, with these.’ He raised the cards above his head. Kuriboh and the Catapult Turtle appeared.’

‘A Kuriboh?’ Joey asked. ‘On a catapult?’

Shamee chuckled. ‘You know him. It’ll just be an obscure little thing that no one else notices.’

‘Not just a Kuriboh.’ Yami lifted the third card. ‘But a team of them. Get ready for some fireworks.’ He activated the card. ‘Go, Multiply!’

Kuriboh was launched and, as he flew, his number went from one to…too many to count. As they hit the Moths, they exploded. Shamee heard Joey exhale in understanding and say, ‘Oh, yeah. Kuriboh self-destruct on contact with enemy monsters. Those Moths are done for.’

The Great Moths fell to the ground, all on fire. Joey and Mai cheered behind them. Shamee smiled and clicked her tongue. She was very pleased with what she’d been seeing back there. It was also pretty freaking funny. She just had to work out how that worked.

***

Yami led them into the next part.

‘Wow, from creepy forest to creepy cavern,’ Joey said. ‘And, still, no trace of Kaiba and Mokuba.’

‘They’re not far away,’ Shamee said.

They all stopped as something above them roared.

‘Whoa, did you guys hear that?’ Joey asked. ‘There it is again! Something’s definitely up there.’

A ray of blue light came down. The four of them covered their eyes.

‘Yeah,’ Shamee remarked. ‘Kaiba’s Blue Eyes White Dragon.’

The light faded. The Dragon in question appeared from the ceiling with the Kaiba brothers.

‘And how did you work that out?’ Kaiba and Mokuba were now in front of them. The elder of the two had spoken.

‘You heard me.’ Shamee turned to Yami. ‘Amazing.’

Yami shot her a smirk. The more time she spent bonded to Sharee, the more like her she seemed to become. Of course, the same was probably true for the reverse. It did make him wonder, though, if that statement could be applied to himself and Yugi.

Shamee then answered Kaiba. ‘Who else would be so dramatic?’

A voice suddenly echoed from above. ‘Congratulations, gamers. You made it to the final level.’

Shamee nodded her head from side to side. ‘Ask a stupid question.’

Kaiba turned, smirking. ‘Correction, you slime-ball, we’ve beaten the game.’

‘Oh, is that what you think, Seto Kaiba?’ the voice asked.

Kaiba lost his composure. ‘That’s right! I escaped the lava-pool, therefore the Mythic Dragon wasn’t summoned. That means this game is over.’

Another voice laughed. ‘It will be game over all right. But for you, not us.’

The cavern faded away to a matrix.

‘No way!’ Kaiba said.

‘What is this?’ Joey asked.

For once, Kaiba answered him. ‘They’ve rewritten the program! They’re summoning the Mythic Dragon themselves!’ As he was speaking the beast was taking form. It stood before them, appearing like an ordinary dragon except each of its five heads was of a different elemental.

‘Aw, man!’ Joey exclaimed.

‘All right, everyone,’ Yami said. ‘Stay close. We’ll win together or together we’ll fall.’

Beside him, Joey shuddered. ‘Man, have I had it with this Virtual Reality stuff. Rescuing Kaiba was one thing, but now we gotta deal with this Mythic Dragon too? I’m really starting to miss my body.’

Apparently, the comment about saving him had irritated Kaiba. ‘Suck it up. There’s only one way we can get out of this game.’

‘I agree,’ Yami said. ‘We have to take this Dragon down.’

‘Let’s go!’ They all said in unison.

‘Me first,’ Mai said. ‘And I call out the Harpy Lady Sisters!’ The original one appeared and duplicated into three. Almost immediately, they were all electrified. ‘What’s happened?’

The voice above them laughed. ‘Just another bit of reprogramming that we did.’

A shape appeared on the ground beneath their feet.

‘A dragons only zone?’ Shamee demanded.

‘That’s right, little girl,’ the other voice said. ‘We call it the Dragon Seal and it makes this lair a sacred place where only dragon-class monsters are allowed to attack. Every other monster type is useless.’

Kaiba chuckled and then laughed. ‘You dare challenge me to a battle of dragons? You five should all know better than that.’ He drew. ‘I call the Blue Eyes White Dragon!’ The beast appeared on the field and roared.

‘Only dragons, huh, fine!’ Joey drew. ‘Go, Red Eyes.’ The Red Eyes Black Dragon appeared with a screech.

Mai drew again. ‘Harpy’s Pet Dragon!’ The Pet appeared, chain dangling from his neck.

Shamee smirked as she pulled the card from her deck. ‘Cyber Laser Dragon!’ The monster came from the card with a loud roar.

‘And I summon Curse of Dragon!’ Yami drew and it emerged in front of him with a screech. ‘Your Mythic Dragon will not stand against all we have set against it.’

‘Attack!’ They all ordered.

Each dragon threw their blasts at the Mythic Dragon. At the same time, every head of the Mythic Dragon spat out different elemental attacks. The ten attacks collided and exploded. They all covered their faces and jammed their eyes shut. When the resulting smoke cleared, they all looked.

‘None of our attacks even got through!’ Joey said.

‘You’re right,’ Yami said. ‘Those blasts must have cancelled each other out when they all collided.’

***

As they were talking – the five discussing the idea of killing Mokuba – an idea was occurring to her. She was still paying enough attention to see what happened next. Joey was the first to react.

‘Block it, Red Eyes!’ he ordered. The beast leap in the way but it was no match for the power of the Mythic Dragon.

‘Joey had his Red Eyes take the hit.’ Mai was talking more to herself. ‘But that means…’

The Red Eyes was destroyed. And it’d been in attack mode. Shamee looked and watched as Joey’s life point indication dropped to 0. Joey collapsed to his knees, as if he was dying.   
Mai, Yami and Shamee all ran over to him. Mai just got there first

‘No, Joey!’ she cried.

‘Joey.’ Yami grabbed his shoulders. He wanted to save him but, at the same time, he knew there was no way to do it.

Joey looked at him. ‘Yugi, so long. I’m done for.’ He was being digitised.

‘Don’t say that!’ Yami told him.

‘Stay with us, please!’ Mai begged.

‘You can’t go,’ Mokuba said.

Joey forced a grin and gave them a thumb’s up. He was gone. Shamee didn’t turn her eyes to her ancient counterpart, but instead to her fellow woman. While she was sure Yami wouldn’t lose his cool in an emotional moment, the same couldn’t be said for Mai. That, she would almost bet money on.

‘We’ve lost him,’ Yami said.

‘Joey!’ Mai dropped to her knees.

Shamee felt the communications from Yami.

_**You knew of this?** _

Shamee suppressed a smirk. _**I did. But it’s in its juvenile stage. How could I speak of it? I could have ruined it all. It truly didn’t start until that night you duelled Panik. You know these things must move at their own pace.**_

A strange feeling settled over his heart. _**I feel…that I do.**_

Shamee suddenly got an idea and sent the image to Yami. He nodded.

As Yami summoned the Black Lustre Soldier, and it immediately collapsed, Shamee called for her Cyber Laser Dragon to defend it. Even though her Dragon was weaker than the Soldier, she had an idea in place.

Kaiba likely wouldn’t be too compliant to the plan.

While the five were gloating over the Soldier being unable to fight, Mai impetuously called out an attack. Naturally, the Mythic Dragon countered and Harpy’s Pet Dragon was destroyed. Shamee had been afraid of that.

‘Mai!’ Yami called. ‘Alone, her Dragon couldn’t stand against it. Which means…no!’

Shamee shot over and caught Mai as her life points hit zero and she collapsed. She, too, was being digitised. She looked up at the two of them.

‘It looks like I’m not going to be around to see how this whole thing turns out,’ she said, seeming at peace with that idea. ‘Sorry. I tried my best. Guess now it’s…it’s up to you…’ She was gone.

Yami gritted his teeth. ‘Mai, with all my might I will avenge you. You and Joey.’

Shamee looked at the Mythic Dragon as Yami tried to talk Kaiba into teaming up with him. The problem was the arrogant sod was just too proud for it. To him, there was nothing worse than teaming up with them. He’d fight alongside them but actual teaming up?

No way, José.

At least he was calm about it. Well…calm until Mokuba was killed. As soon as the boy was digitalised, his grief was overtaking him. Shamee and Sharee both knew what had to be done. Someone else had to go for him to be snapped back to his senses and there was only one person who could be spared.

‘Ah, rat rot,’ Shamee muttered. She then shook her nervousness away and called out. ‘Cyber Laser Dragon, attack!’ Knowing what would happen next.

Her Cyber Laser Dragon powered up.

 _ **Shamee, what are you doing?**_ Yami demanded.

Shamee glanced back at him. _**Kaiba needs a nice big shock to bring him back to his senses. Sadly, this is the best I can do.**_ Her Dragon attacked. The Cyber Blast was countered and severed by a blast from the Mythic Dragon. Her monster was hit and destroyed. Shamee’s life points hit zero.

‘Shamee!’ Yami called to her, forgetting their illusion. Luckily, her host’s name was close enough to her own that Kaiba may not have noticed.

Yami rushed over as Shamee fought to stay on her feet. It was plain to see why modern-day humans collapsed before digitisation. The pain was intense, as if someone was attempting to rip out her beating heart.

Yami spoke in a dead language. It was the sort of thing that Kaiba would only understand as random sounds though. But no one had currently alive – barring them, if they could be counted as such – had ever heard this tongue spoken before. Shamee understood the Ancient Egyptian statement: _“My loyal servant, your duty to me holds more value to you than your life. For this, you shall be honoured and avenged”._

Shamee responded in the same language: _“My Lord and Master, it has been an honour to be included in your service”._ She then looked at Kaiba as she too was digitised. This time she spoke in the tongue he understood. But the words would not come easily so she condensed it. ‘Dragon…Knight…’

And then the entire word vanished into blackness. Only one thought crossed her mind.

_**I’ve died before.** _

***

Kaiba stared at where Sharee had been. Her words sank into his head. Although he hadn’t understood what Yugi said to her and her response, he did understand what she was telling him. He quickly did the calculations in his head.

That would work. He’d once read of the theory…of the monster that Yugi had suggested. A monster like that? Yes, it could work. And then he could get to those treacherous snakes and rip them all limb from limb. He would kill them for what they had done to his little brother.

Kaiba looked at Yugi and nodded.

***

Yami was glad for Shamee’s plan, half-cooked as it would have been with how quickly she had acted upon it. He watched polymerisation he’d just activated. When the Five tried to attack, it went right into the vortex. Yami was satisfied to see they sustained no damage.

‘What?’ the first voice demanded. ‘Nothing happened!’

‘Oh, something has happened,’ Yami said as their creature appeared. ‘Behold, the supreme Dragon Master Knight! Now, see his awesome powers!’ He had an attack of 5000. The Dragon Master Knight began charging up his attack and light exuded out from him, bathing the entire field – or what passed for one in this game – in a luminous glow.’

‘What’s going on?’ One of the Five demanded.

Slowly, each of the three destroyed dragons appeared and flew down behind the Knight.

‘Those Dragons were sent to the graveyard,’ the second voice said. ‘How could they be back?’

A third voice joined them. ‘Look! Something’s even happening to our Mythic Dragon.’

Indeed. Power was being drawn from it. Yami smirked. ‘The Dragon Master Knight gains the attack power of every dragon monster ever played on the field. Including ones that were already destroyed.’ He closed his eyes solemnly. ‘Now, in the memory of Joey, Mai, Mokuba, Sharee…’ His eyes snapped open. ‘…we will topple your beast!’

The Dragon Master Knight now had an attack power of eleven thousand, four hundred. Each of the three dead Dragons, as well as the living Mythic one, had contributed to the most powerful monster either duellist had ever seen.

Why did that statement feel wrong to Yami?

‘Attack, Dragon Master Knight!’ Kaiba ordered.

Yami finished the command. ‘Dragon Sabre Blast!’

The Knight growled as not only did the power come from his sword, but also from the mouths of the three-headed dragon he was riding on. The energy blasts combined and hit the Mythic Dragon. It screamed out in pain and was destroyed. Yami and Kaiba stood where they were, watching the glow die down.

In the next instant everything faded away. The entire room and their Dragon Master Knight. With nothing to stand on, Yami and Kaiba fell.

They both cried out before their worlds went dark.

***

Shamee felt a dull throbbing in her head and immediately sat up. Oh, they were back in Sinlow. Joey, Mai and Mokuba were with her. Yami and Kaiba were standing but a few feet away. Standing up, she walked over to help her friends and helped them up. Mokuba was already running over to his elder brother.

‘Did it work?’ she asked Yami.

‘Yes,’ Yami said. ‘We combined the Black Lustre Soldier with the Ultimate Blue Eyes White Dragon. The Mythic Dragon has been destroyed.’

‘Good.’ Shamee nodded. ‘Attack strength?’

‘Eleven, four hundred,’ Yami said.

Shamee let out a low whistle. ‘Now there’s a beast I wouldn’t like to go up against.’ By this time, Joey and Mai had climbed to their feet too.

They all turned though, when a black portal appeared.

‘The exit portal,’ Kaiba said, leading Mokuba towards it. ‘Let’s go, Mokuba.’

Shamee smiled and took one last look around. She turned her attention to her friends as Joey told Kaiba off. She wasn’t really surprised when Kaiba brushed off Joey but spoke to Yami with respect instead.

That was a thing about that guy: you couldn’t help but respect him.

‘We made a good team, you and I,’ Kaiba said. ‘But don’t think it means we’ll be partnering up in true reality.’

Shamee smiled. She knew, just as Yami did, that Kaiba would want to avoid that scenario.

‘Very well,’ Yami said. ‘But despite whatever grudge you may still hold against me and the others, perhaps you can at least begin to stop looking at us as just adversaries and more as friends.’

‘Hm.’ Kaiba scowled and turned away. ‘Come on, Mokuba.’

‘I’m coming,’ Mokuba called as he hurried after Kaiba. The two of them ran through the portal.

Joey ground his teeth.

‘He’s a pretty cheery guy, huh?’ Mai remarked with a touch of sarcasm.

Shamee said nothing.

The Mystical Elf suddenly spoke. ‘Thank you, our heroes.’

They all turned to her.

‘Your brave deeds will always be remembered here,’ she said.

Yami responded. ‘And we will always remember all of you.’

They all waved as they left. Mai said “bye-bye” and Joey said “see you”, but Yami and Shamee remained silent. They stepped through the portal.

***

The door slid open.

‘We’re in!’

‘Oh, no!’ Téa cried from beside her. ‘No!’

Shauna ground her teeth. Tristan was standing in front of them with a crowbar. He tried to hold them back with it. Shauna’s hand slipped under her jacket, going for the firearm. It may have seemed odd that a teenager had a gun, but she was from a long line for archaeologists. You learned basic survival skills – including how to shoot – from a young age.  
Suddenly all four pods opened. The suits drew back.

‘What?’ the big guy demanded.

Joey stuck his head up first, looking half-stoned.

Tristan turned. ‘Hey, Joey.’

Sharee hopped out of her own pod, walked around and drew her own handgun, pointing it at the goons. ‘Two points. One: I come from a long line of archaeologists. I sometimes do have to shoot people. I won’t kill you but it will hurt. Two: I’m American. I have the right to bear arms.’

The others came around.

‘Seriously?’ Yugi asked as he and the other two came around. ‘I thought that whole thing about Americans and guns was just media.’

‘For normal Americans, yes.’ Sharee grinned at him. ‘But our family hasn’t been normal since the nineteenth century.’

‘I don’t think you need the guns,’ Mokuba said.

‘Really?’ Sharee tucked it away. ‘Cool. Why?’

‘My brother’s back,’ Mokuba said. ‘He’s probably getting out of his pod right now.’

The big guy drew back. ‘No! He can’t be…’

Mokuba glared at the suits. ‘And without you guys to guard your bosses, I’d say he’s about to kick some butt!’

‘He’s right!’ The big guy turned and led the others out. ‘We’d better get back!’

‘We did it!’ Téa cried.

‘Bunch of wimps,’ Tristan said.

They suddenly heard a yawn and all turned.

‘It’s Mai!’ Mokuba exclaimed as she came out.

‘She must’ve been here all along,’ Joey remarked.

Mai stretched as she approached them. ‘In the flesh. Is everything cool?’

‘Sure looks that way,’ Yugi said.

Mokuba turned to them. ‘Cause of you. All of you. So thanks.’

They all grinned.

‘Aw, stop,’ Joey told him in good humour. ‘Now, go on and get outta here already. Your brother probably can’t wait to see you.’

‘Okay. Thanks again, you guys. Bye!’ Mokuba ran out and they all called goodbye to him.

‘Now, where’s the john?’ Joey asked. ‘I had like seven sodas before we got in those pods.’

Shauna blinked at him. ‘You’re gonna rot your teeth out.’

Everyone laughed.


	46. Dungeon Dice Monsters Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new game shop opens in town.
> 
> Sharee makes a not-so-surprising discovery.

‘Grandpa, where are you?’ Yugi called. He stepped out of the shop to find him sweeping the front steps. ‘Oh, I’m gonna be late for school. I gotta go.’

His grandpa sighed.

Yugi walked up behind him. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Good morning, Yugi!’

Yugi turned to see his friend – and secret crush – running over to him. ‘How’s it going, Téa?’

Téa stopped in front of him. She grinned and then looked at his grandfather. ‘Mr. Moto, good morning.’

His grandfather scoffed. ‘Good for you, maybe.’

‘What’s bugging your grandfather?’ Téa asked. ‘I’ve never seen him like this before. Is he sick?’

Yugi turned to her. ‘I don’t think so but I’m worried. He’s been acting really weird all morning.’

‘But why?’ Téa asked.

His grandfather suddenly popped up between them, scaring them half to death. ‘Okay, I’m going to tell you. I’ve endured many things in my life. I’ve been trapped in an ancient pyramid, stung by scorpions, attacked by Tibetan wolves but nothing compares to this!’ He pointed. ‘A new game shop!’

‘There’s a new game shop?’ Téa asked.

His grandfather folded his arms. ‘They think they can drive me out of business selling their trendy new trash. But they have no respect for the gaming traditions. The true classics because they sell only the fads of today.’

Yugi stared up, forgetting himself for a second. ‘Wow! A new game store? I better go check out the competition and see what we’re up against.’

His grandpa wasn’t fooled and spun around. ‘Don’t even think about it!’

Maybe he could sneak in.

***

Joey could barely believe what he just heard. ‘Whoa! Be still my beating heart. You sure? There’s a spanking new game shop?’

Sharee, Tristan and Téa stood around the table.

Yugi was sitting across from him. ‘Yeah. My grandpa’s really worried about it.’

‘It just opened,’ Téa said. ‘They’ve got all the latest and greatest games. They were really trying to hype this new one. Something about dice or dungeons.’

‘You saying they got that Dungeon Dice Monsters?’ Joey asked.

‘Hey, how did you become a total expert all of a sudden?’ Tristan joined in.

Joey shot right back. ‘A little thing called the newspaper. Ever heard of it, genius?’

Sharee glanced up from where she was fiddling with her cell phone. ‘ _You_ read the paper?’

Joey fell off his chair and immediately glared at her. ‘I read ‘em when I’m out delivering ‘em, okay?’

‘Why are you delivering newspapers?’ Téa asked.

Joey turned to her, still angry. ‘Listen, Téa. I don’t get one of them big, fat allowances. I just need a little extra spending money. That’s all. I gotta save every penny of that award money Yugi gave me for my sister’s operation.’ Well, at least he’d calmed down now.

‘Hey,’ Tristan said. ‘How is your sister, Serenity, doing?’

‘Great,’ Joey answered. ‘The eye guy says she’s gonna see good as new and the first thing she’s gonna see is my beautiful mug.’

Yugi grinned. ‘Wow, Joey. That’s awesome news.’

‘Yeah.’

They all grinned, but they were cut off when they heard shrill girly voices. The five of them went and had a look in the room it was coming from. All the girls were crowded around a single boy.

‘Who is this guy?’ Joey asked. He hated it when people like that came to the school. They hogged all the attention from the girls. It really got on his nerves in all honesty. He gritted his teeth.

But Sharee just laughed. ‘Oh, I think that’s the new kid. Duke Devlin or something. No sweat, Joey. Kids like that just peak in high school.’

***

Sharee was just stepping out of language class. There were very few she didn’t know so she was sure the teacher had it out for her. Especially when she spoke in fluent Arabic, which no one but her understood. Of course, if the teacher didn’t bite quite so well she wouldn’t bother.

Sharee pulled out her cell phone as it rang. ‘Hello? Oh, hi, Shauna. What? Are you sure? Damn, that could develop into a real problem. Okay, I’ll see what I can do. Thanks.’ She hung up and stormed away.

The moron in question wouldn’t be that hard to find: follow the sound of high-pitched girlish voices. But she didn’t want to have to contend with any of his stupid little fan club.   
They’d just make it hard for her to get a word in edgewise. She could always beat the stuffing out of them, but that would take time.

So she waited in a direct line between the school and the new game shop. Sure enough, Duke Devlin walked that way all on his lonesome. Sharee moved out of her hiding spot and in his path. She was satisfied to see him jump but she wasn’t going to let him think for a moment that she was part of his fan club.

‘Where’d you come from?’ he demanded in surprise.

‘Oh, I can still sneak up on people.’ Sharee smirked. ‘That’s good. I’ve just heard a little rumour. You had a business deal with Pegasus?’

Duke gritted his teeth. ‘Yes.’

‘And haven’t heard from him since Duellist Kingdom?’ she asked.

‘You have quite the resources,’ Duke remarked. ‘It’s all Yugi Moto’s fault anyhow.’

‘Oh, really?’ Sharee asked, her eyes narrowing. ‘How?’

‘He cheated to beat Pegasus and broke his spirit!’ Duke snapped.

‘Yugi cheated? Yugi Moto?’ Sharee held it together for about three seconds before she cracked up laughing. ‘Right, right! The most naïve kid on the block cheated at a card game. I mean – pfft! – it could happen.’ She then composed herself. ‘Have you ever actually _seen_ Yugi duel?’

‘No, but I have seen Pegasus.’ Duke scowled at her. ‘There’s no way he could’ve beaten him!’

Someone had a case of hero worship. But most people would have by now moved on. In other words he was stubborn about it and he’d probably turn into a pain. ‘Do you actually know anything about Yugi apart from the fact that he beat Pegasus?’

‘Well, no, but…’

Sharee’s phone rang and she yanked it out of her pocket to answer. ‘Hello?’ Maybe she snapped a bit too much but she was in too bad of a mood to answer politely. And what Shauna told her didn’t improve her mood. She groaned. ‘All right, I’ll get right there.’ She hung up. ‘All right, boy-o. I’ve got an important engagement to get to, so just take my word for it. If you don’t want to look like the world’s biggest jerk, shut up and look at it as it is: Yugi is a skilled player and he beat Pegasus fair and square.’ She turned on her heel and marched off.

As she went, it occurred to Sharee that the pretty boy probably wasn’t going to drop it and that meant she had to do something about it. She pulled her cell phone out again and dialled. She’d given Yugi a cell phone when they got back in case Shamee and Yami ever needed immediate contact and were out of range of the Millennium Items – or couldn’t use them for some reason.

The answer came pretty quickly. ‘Yugi? Yeah, Sharee. Look, you’ve got a problem. You know that new kid? Duke Devlin. Yeah, I think you’ll have a few problems with him. I’d explain why but I’m in a bit of a hurry. Well, it seems that someone from Yami and Shamee’s lifetime was just shot here. Yeah, that’s what I think. I thought you ought to know before he starts playing up. Okay, I’ll see you later.’ She hung up and ran.

As she did, she handed the control of her body over to Shamee.

***

Shamee had learned how to drive from being in Sharee’s head. As an American, her legal age for driving was 16 – which was exactly how old she was. But when Shamee took control of the body, she looked eighteen. That meant that the (quite convincing) fake driver’s licence she had was accepted without question if the police happened to pull Sharee over.

Shamee parked the car. She then hopped out and headed into the alleyways. Better this place than somewhere out in the open. There you had cars and all that sort of things. An Ancient Egyptian there? No way.

Shamee found him. It was a male in fine robes and wearing a headpiece. The man turned. ‘Shamee? What are you doing here?’

That confirmed it. She walked forward. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. Confusion grew in his heart and she quickly realised he’d worked out she didn’t recognise him. He didn’t understand why.

‘You’ll have to forgive me,’ Shamee said. ‘Whatever it was that caused us to be tied down in this way has suppressed our memories entirely.’ She briefly wondered if he’d know what she was talking about.

‘Entirely?’ But the confusion lifted from his heart.

‘I remember more than the other two,’ Shamee said. ‘But that is due to the fact that my vessel’s father is a scientist who studies our history.’

‘I see,’ the man said. He seemed to consider for a moment before lifting his eyes to hers again. ‘Vessels?’

‘An unfortunate circumstance,’ Shamee said. ‘The three of us need living bodies to work. Our original bodies are no longer available to us we are forced to use these ones. Mind you, my master and myself allow them to retake control whenever they so wish and we don’t do anything that they wouldn’t. I fear I can’t say the same for our adversary.’

‘Ah.’ The man nodded. ‘Well, if you do not remember I suppose it would be best for me to introduce myself. I am Mahad, the Pharaoh’s Master Magician.’

Shamee paused. ‘Mahad? Rings a bell.’ She saw his confusion again and smiled. ‘I’m sorry. That’s a modern day expression. It means “it sounds familiar”.’

‘I see.’ Mahad nodded. He held up his head. ‘I do believe I shall need time to build up my magic once more in order to send myself back.’

‘Certainly,’ Shamee said.

Suddenly a sound filled the air. Mahad jumped and looked around in alarm. Sharee chuckled and fished her cell phone out of her pocket. She held it up, showing him what was making the sound. ‘Modern-day communication technology.’ She answered it. ‘Hello?’

It was Shauna. And she immediately told her that Joey lost a game to Duke Devlin and was now stuck in a dog suit. Yami had then emerged and challenged him to win back Joey’s freedom. The other end of the deal is if Yami loses, he can’t play Duel Monsters ever again. And the snag? They were playing Dungeon Dice Monsters, a game neither Yugi nor Yami had ever played before…and it was being broadcast all over the world.

As this report went on, Shamee felt not only Sharee’s anger riling up again, but hers was joining it. ‘Keep me posted.’ She hung up.

‘What’s the matter?’ Mahad asked.

‘Presumptuous idiot,’ Shamee muttered. She waved her hand. ‘It’s just an issue with a child trying to be a man, and failing miserably…’ She stopped and cocked her head. Her powers were telling her someone else was nearby…and slipping closer. She grinned at Mahad. ‘Excuse me for a minute.’

That said, she jumped up onto a trash dumpster and used the drainage pipe to scale the wall.


	47. Dungeon Dice Monsters Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Shamee finishes her business, she learns that Yami has gotten into a duel with Duke for Joey's freedom.

Shamee jumped down and landed on Bakura’s back, knocking him out cold. That was the problem: Bakura was not used to physical stresses like Sharee was. He went out like a light so damned easily. The Evil Spirit really should have considered things like that.

Mahad ran around the corner. He stopped just over her as she searched Bakura’s pockets. The Magician frowned. ‘I assume this is the vessel of the third spirit?’

‘Unfortunately, yes.’ Shamee glanced up at him. ‘It’s a shame. He’s a nice kid when he’s not possessed.’

‘Quite so?’ Mahad was silent for a moment.

Shamee found what she was looking for. Of course the Millennium Eye was in the last place she looked. She just nodded to herself and stood up. ‘We knew he’d taken off with this.’

‘Indeed,’ Mahad said. ‘Quite likely he’s the reason you two were sealed in this way.’ He paused. ‘Shamee, do you know who your master is?’

‘Not really.’ Shamee tucked the Eye into her pocket. ‘All I know is that he was my overlord at the time we died.’

‘Shamee, at the time you died you would have had only one overlord,’ Mahad said. ‘You were the Pharaoh’s Right Hand.’

‘I was?’ Shamee asked. ‘But that means the spirit who’s sharing bodies with Yugi is the Pharaoh.’ She considered that one. It did explain why the guy was so powerful. And if he knew that. ‘Mahad, do you have the energy to go back?’

‘I do.’

‘Then I’d like to ask you one more question.’ Shamee briefly considered how to word it. She had no other problems. She’d heard that when you travelled to the future, you remembered very little of it upon your return home. ‘Whenever we’ve gone into the Shadow Realm since our awakenings, we have been approached and assisted by a woman and her five year old son. Could you hazard a guess at who they might be?’

‘A woman?’ Mahad asked. ‘And a child?’

‘And the boy always runs right to the Pharaoh,’ Shamee said.

Mahad exhaled heavily. ‘In our time the five year old child of one of the nobles, his only son, and his mother, who was merely the father’s lover, were killed and their bodies vanished. It is very possible that these two are them.’

Shamee nodded. ‘What are their names?’

‘I expect you shall remember the woman in time,’ Mahad said. ‘As for the boy…it was his father who named him.’ He lifted his hand and a glow surrounded him.

When it faded, Shamee was standing there alone with an unconscious boy. Shamee grinned at the air. ‘I forgot how cryptic he could be.’

_And everything else about him._

_**Shut up.** _

Sharee laughed in her mind. _Okay. Let’s get to the Dice game then._

Shamee turned and ran back to the car.

***

Yami saw, out of the corner of his eye, Shamee run into the stadium. She looked at Joey and cringed sympathetically. But, all the same, she walked over to Tristan and Téa but said nothing. Duke was finally giving an explanation for this highly shameful behaviour of his.

‘I dedicated my life to creating Dungeon Dice Monsters. I spent all of my free time perfecting its game play and fine-tuning its rules. And when I was finished, it was clear that I had created something truly remarkable. I decided I should send it to the only man who could possibly appreciate it. Pegasus! A couple of days passed but I didn’t hear anything from that great game master. Until…I got this crazy e-mail. He said he’d read my proposal. I couldn’t believe my eyes. He said he wanted to fly me out on his personal helicopter so that we could discuss the game in person. The very next day I was brought to Pegasus’s island. Duellist Kingdom. I could hardly believe it! All my hard work was paying off. I was gonna meet my idol, Maximillion Pegasus. When we met, Pegasus immediately challenged me to a game of Dungeon Dice Monsters. I expected him to be good, but he was phenomenal. It was his first time playing the game and he completely overpowered me. Me! The guy who created it. I was amazed with his skills.’

This was explaining it somewhat, but it seemed Duke was a very poor judge of character. Young and foolish.

‘Oh, goody,’ Shamee said to Tristan and Téa. ‘A fanboy.’

Duke didn’t hear her or merely chose to ignore her. ‘And with that, the deal was sealed. He told me we’d draw up the official contract after he finished hosting a duelling tournament that was about to take place on his island. The tournament that you were headed to, Yugi. And ever since you beat him there, I haven’t been able to contact him at all.’ Duke glared. ‘Everything that I’ve worked for was shattered that day. And it’s all your fault!’

‘You don’t know what kind of man Pegasus was at all,’ Yami said.

‘He was a great man,’ Duke insisted. ‘Until you came along and broke his spirit with your dirty, cheating ways. And now I’ll get my revenge by breaking you!’

‘Okay, Devlin.’ Shamee scowled from where she stood. ‘We tried this the easy way. Now let’s do it the hard way.’ She turned her gaze. ‘I say let him have it.’

Duke barked out a laugh. ‘No way. Now, Yugi, I’ll expose you for what you really are: a good-for-nothing cheater!’

‘I’ve never cheated at anything in my entire life,’ Yami said.

‘Please, you expect me to believe that someone like you could defeat a great game master like Maximillion Pegasus?’ Duke demanded. ‘You can’t even hold your own in Dungeon Dice Monsters!’

‘Just listen to me, Devlin.’

‘Never!’

‘Your hero worship of Pegasus has completely blinded you to the truth.’

‘No. I can see perfectly and I see a cheater who’s about to be retired from Duel Monsters forever. Now roll, you fraud.’

Yami gritted his teeth. Shamee was right. They’d have to do this the hard way. ‘I will roll.’ He did. ‘And I will defeat you.’ The dice tumbled about and settled. ‘There. I rolled two level-three summon crests. That’s another monster for me. Dimension the dice! He pushed one of them into the board and watched it appear on the field, falling down to attach to his path and reveal another monster. ‘And unlock Thunderball!’

‘Huh!’ Duke scoffed. ‘Thunderball. Thunderball may be a third-level monster, but his stats really aren’t that strong. I’m afraid he’s not going to be a lot of help to you.’

Yami would bet, from the look on his face, that Duke was omitting something again.

Duke picked up his dice. ‘My turn now. ‘Go, dice roll!’ He rolled. ‘Yes! One attack and two movement crests. I’ll advance my Blast Lizard and Gator Dragon into attack position.’

They were now in perfect position to attack his heart points.

‘Look out, Yug!’ Joey called.

‘That Gator Dragon’s finally reached Yugi!’ Téa cried out.

‘Yug’s heart points!’ Tristan exclaimed. ‘They’re in range!’

‘That’s right, Yugi!’ And Duke was gloating. ‘My Gator Dragon is poised to take your heart!’ He sniggered to himself.

Yami gritted his teeth and braced himself.

‘And now…’ Duke pointed. ‘…Gator Dragon, attack him! With Swamp Fire Blast!’

The Gator Dragon opened his mouth and fired. Anticipating the heat of the attack, Yami raised his arms and covered his face. The fire ripped around him and one of his three heart points were erased. He lifted his head and glared up at Duke.

‘Oh, no!’ Téa on the sidelines again. ‘He wiped out Yugi’s heart point just like that.’

Duke’s cheerleaders on the side started making their noise. Yami didn’t understand it, really. Yugi had explained the theory to him but he was still rather lost on why anyone would want girls in short skirts to be waving those pom-poms around and cheer for them. It was senseless.

‘Stop!’ Joey had enough. ‘Would you all shut up? My friend’s in really trouble here!’

It was almost painful to watch Joey get knocked down by them the next moment. But Duke just laughed at his small victory. ‘Now, you only have two heart points, Yugi! But not for long, because my monsters are already lined up and ready to take them out in the next round.’

‘This is bad,’ Yami said to himself.

‘The whole world’s about to see you lose, Yugi.’ Duke sneered. ‘Then you’ll be forced to retire from Duel Monsters in shame. Pegasus will be avenged and you’ll be exposed as the sham that you are.’

Yami’s fist tightened around the dice in his hand as Duke laughed. Yami gritted his teeth. Yugi’s doubts echoed in his head. _What can I do? Duke’s got more monsters, more dungeon path and more heart points than me. And he’s in a position to attack again. How can I possibly win? How can I beat Duke at his own game?_


	48. Dungeon Dice Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami needs to find a way to beat Duke at his own game - and fast!

Shamee stood next to Tristan and Téa, watching as Duke watched smugly. Joey was being kicked around by those cheerleaders like he was an actual dog. She just wished there was someone around to turn them into vases or something. They’d be far more useful and pleasant to have around if that happened.

‘Man,’ Tristan said. ‘I can’t wait until Yugi wins this and gets Joey out of that stupid dog suit Duke Devlin’s making him wear. That guy’s a real jerk.’

Shamee was satisfied to see Devlin heard that. He didn’t look too impressed with the comment either.

‘Yeah.’ Téa scowled. ‘Duke’s all about humiliating his opponents. Especially Yugi. Why else would he want to beat him in a game broadcast around the world?’

Tristan looked at her. ‘He’s sure on a vendetta.’

Téa looked over at Yami, who was currently scouring the help screen. ‘It’s not fair. He blames Yugi for everything. His game not taking off, losing Pegasus as a business partner. It’s just wrong.’

‘I’ll tell you one thing,’ Shamee said. ‘That guy just ought to thank his lucky stars to be doing this in this century.’

Before Tristan or Téa could question her, Joey yelled out. ‘Yug! Come on, buddy, you just gotta win this match and get me out of this fleabag costume before I completely lose it! Heeeeeh!’

The cheerleaders kicked him to the ground. ‘Down boy!’ They then spoke one at a time.

‘Bad!’

‘Dog!’

‘Bad!’

Joey cried out. ‘I’m-not-a-dog!’ The cheerleaders just made faces at him. He curled up and muttered something to himself. They went back to cheering. Téa and Tristan both blanched in pity and embarrassment for him.

‘Man, those cheerleaders sure know how to yank Joey’s chain,’ Tristan remarked.

‘Yeah, well, at least they haven’t reduced him to howling yet.’ Almost as soon as Téa finished saying that, Joey began howling. All three of them dropped their heads and Téa made a final statement. ‘I’m _not_ house-breaking him.’

***

 _Duke’s monsters have already taken out one of my three heart points and unless I do something right here, they’ll take out another._ As Yugi thought that, Yami turned to the help screen and started scanning it. The only reason he knew how to use it was because Yugi, who’d been raised on this stuff, did. I have to make this turn count. The screen flashed up. _But I think I just found what I needed to know._

Yami rolled. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’

_Come on! I need to get some magic crests here! Otherwise I might not be able to win Joey his freedom back._

The Dice hit the console and rolled.

The first landed. _There’s one._ The second and the third. _And another. Two out of three. Great!_ Yami lifted his head. ‘It appears I’ve rolled two magic crests, Duke. Since both of them have times two multiplier emblems, each of their values are doubled, giving me four magic crests, more than enough to activate Thunderball’s special ability.’

It was clear Duke had been hoping he wouldn’t work that one out. But he closed his eyes and leaned on the console. ‘Not bad. You’ve even learned how to use your help screen to find out how to activate the monsters’ special abilities.’

‘That’s right.’ Yami activated it. ‘Now I’ll use three of the crests I rolled and activate Thunderball’s special attack.’

The three crests went into the monster and it drew its head, arms and legs into its body, returning to the spherical shape.

‘Go, rolling crush!’ Thunderball rolled at Duke’s monsters. ‘Your Blast Lizard is about to be bowled over!’ Thunderball slammed into it, destroying the Lizard in question. ‘But my attack will not end there. I’ll use three more magic crests I saved in my crest pool and have Thunderball strike again! Thunderball, attack Gator Dragon!’ The crests went in and bowled into Duke’s other creature. The Gator Dragon was destroyed.

‘You nailed him!’ Joey cheered as Duke’s cheerleaders all clung to each other and wailed quite annoyingly. ‘Way to pick up the spare, Yug! Great Job!’

Yami clenched his fist, feeling the exhilaration rushing through him. ‘Okay, Duke. Now, we have a game.’

Duke did not look happy. ‘Not bad, Yugi, using that help screen to come up with a pretty impressive move there. But still, I wouldn’t get any ideas about winning this match. You’ll never know Dice Monsters as well as I do.’ He flicked his bangs flamboyantly. ‘After all, I’m the guy who invented the game.’

Arrogant little boy. ‘That’s true. Just as your idol, Pegasus, invented a Duel Monsters card game.’ Except…he had recreated it more than invented it. ‘But inventing a game doesn’t mean that you can’t be beaten at it, Devlin.’ He was satisfied to see the thoughtful look on his face. Yami considered stopping but decided against it. The boy needed his lesson.   
‘But perhaps my beating Pegasus was the exception to the rule. Perhaps you are better.’

Devlin turned his head, smirking. ‘Why, thank you.’ Then he suddenly seemed to realise what had been said. ‘Hey, wait! You only beat Pegasus by cheating. Don’t try and fool me!’

‘No, Duke,’ Yami said. ‘You’re fooling yourself.’

‘Yeah, right, cheat!’ Duke snapped. He grabbed his dice. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ The dice landed. ‘Nice. I’ll save those in my crest pool.’

‘Now, it’s my turn, Duke.’ Yami rolled. ‘Go Dice Roll!’ The dice landed.

‘Way to go, Yugi!’ Téa cheered.

‘Excellent,’ Yami said. ‘Two summons and a movement crest.’ He laid the dice down. ‘Dimension the Dice!’ The dice appeared on the field. ‘Now, behold the monster that I’ve unlocked.’ The monster took form. ‘I’ve summoned…the Knight of Twin Swords!’

‘For all the good it’ll do you!’ Duke waved it off. ‘None of my monsters are within striking distance of him.’

‘Which is why I’ll store my other die in my crest pool until later,’ Yami said.

Duke went on gloating. ‘So, at least you’ve become skilled at conserving your crests. It’s about time.’

Joey was audibly confused. ‘Man, crest this, crest that. I’m totally lost.’

Duke looked at him smugly. ‘Guess it’s true: you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’

Joey spun around and glared at Duke, growling.

‘Come on, dog-boy,’ Duke sneered. ‘It’s Dungeon Dice Rules number one. You’re allowed to take the crests you roll, store them in your crest pool and use them later on.’

Okay, now he understood. Joey dropped a…paw into a…paw. ‘Oh, yeah! I remember that rule now.’

Yami nearly rolled his eyes as the cheerleaders moved over to him again.

‘Concentrate on dog rules!’ one of them ordered.

‘You gotta learn, learn how to obey our commands!’

‘Right! Now, sit, dog-boy.’

Joey groaned, sat and whimpered. Yami tried to ignore it and went back to his help screen. While Duke was focused on Joey, he needed to get this done. He needed to know all he could about Dungeon Dice Monsters if he was going to beat Devlin.

‘My turn now!’ Duke rolled. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ The dice hit the console. ‘All right, a pair of summoning crests. Dimension the Dice and unlock my creature!’ The dice appeared on the field and opened up. A creature that looked like a Battle Ox appeared. ‘Now, here’s a monster your Knight will definitely want to steer clear of. Battle Ox!’ Exactly what it looked like, then. ‘But then, you may have a hard time avoiding him, once I use these four stores movement chests and have him charge in for an attack.’ The Battle Ox began moving towards his Knight. ‘Here he comes, Yug, invading your turf! You better believe this bull knows how to fight.’

Yami quickly turned to his help screen as Shamee called out, buying him time.

‘Devlin, a bull and an ox are two different animals!’

Duke completely ignored her. ‘Now, Battle Ox, go for the Knight of Twin Swords, attack! Oh, by the way, my Ox gains a ten point bonus when attacking all warrior-type monsters, like your Knight.’ The Ox attacked but Yami had this under control.

‘Knight!’ Yami barked. ‘Quickly, switch into defence mode!’ His Knight did so and blocked the attack. ‘Just in time. Sorry, Devlin, but in defence mode, my Knight has a defence power of ten, meaning that your Ox’s attack can only do twenty points of damage.’ Yami looked at the screen. ‘He’ll lose twenty of his thirty attack points from your Ox’s attack but he’ll still remain on the board.’

Duke growled and slammed his hands on the console in annoyance.

Yami rolled. ‘It’s my turn. Go, Dice Roll!’ The dice landed. ‘I’m activating my Knight’s special ability…’ He held up the matched crests he had. ‘…by using both these attack crests.’ They went into his Knight. ‘Now he’s allowed to attack you twice in one turn and make two assaults on your beast’s hit points.’ He was greatly satisfied to see the look of shock and fear on Duke’s face. ‘Go, Double Slash attack!’ His Knight slashed through Devlin’s Ox twice and it was destroyed. ‘Face it, Duke. Your Ox has been sawed.’

‘No!’ Duke cried. ‘My Ox! That Knight slaughtered him.’

The cheerleaders wailed and Joey cheered.

‘Way to go, Yugi!’ Tristan called. ‘You’re really on a roll now, buddy!’

‘Yugi! Great move!’ Téa yelled to him. Shamee just stood where she was, smiling.

Yami turned back to Devlin. ‘Your turn, Duke, but this time you might want to steer clear of my monsters.’

Of all things, Duke began to laugh. Yami narrowed his eyes. He glanced over at Shamee. She was looking at him in confusion too. Then she looked down at the field and scanned it. She seemed to find what she was looking for down there and groaned. ‘Rat rot!’

Duke stopped laughing. ‘So you were able to defeat my Battle Ox, Yugi. So what? My last brilliant move wasn’t just about creating another monster. It was about building out my Dungeon Path.’

Yami looked down and saw the problem. ‘Rat rot!’

‘Huh?’ Joey asked. ‘What gives?’

‘Simple, you dunce,’ Duke said. ‘His Dungeon Path’s been stopped dead in its tracks.’

Duke was right. His blue Dungeon Path had been cut off at the pass by Duke’s red one. It created one solid line in front of Yami’s. He listened with half an ear as he tried to work out what to do with this problem. ‘You’re stuck, Yugi!’

‘Child!’ Shamee called out.

‘What’s going on here?’ Téa asked.

‘I’m not sure I follow it myself, Téa,’ Tristan said.

They both looked at Shamee. She didn’t waste time in explaining. ‘Duke has cut Yugi off at the pass, because one Dungeon Path cannot overlap another. Look down at the field.’ She waited for their exclamations of understanding. ‘But he’s not stuck. That’s just a minor setback.’

‘Minor setback!’ Duke laughed again. ‘Come on. The so-called King of Games over there is about to be forced into an early retirement.’

Tristan looked at Shamee. ‘What do you mean when you say it’s a minor setback?’

‘Firstly, you might notice when they’re this cocky, Yugi always wins,’ Shamee said, glancing to Duke’s offended face. ‘Secondly, I doubt there’s a rule that says Yugi’s monsters can’t traverse across Duke’s Dungeon Path.’

‘Oh, sure, he could try that,’ Duke said flippantly. ‘You know, if he doesn’t mind cruising his monsters through a virtual gauntlet, cause to get to my heart points he’ll have to survive every one of my monsters that he meets on the way.’

‘Every one?’ Téa demanded.

Tristan drew the conclusions. ‘But then that means all his monsters would get pulverised.’

Very likely.

‘No joke!’ Duke was just about gloating now. ‘My roll now.’ He picked up his dice. ‘Oh…perfect!’

Yami leaned forward. He didn’t like the sound of that.

Duke held up one of his dice, chuckling. ‘Just perfect. Know what this is, Yugi?’

‘Looks like a black die.’

‘A very rare black die to be exact.’ Duke held it up. ‘And with it, I’m gonna finish you off and win this game. Go, Dice Roll.’ He rolled. The dice landed.

‘Well?’ Yami demanded. ‘What is it?’

Duke flicked his bangs back again. ‘A pair of summons.’ He grabbed the black die and pushed it into the console. ‘Dimension the Dice!’ The die rose up on the board. ‘Now, you’ll see the power of the rare black dice.’ It opened up but, instead of a monster, Yami found himself looking at a vortex of some kind. ‘Behold, the Warp Vortex!’

Yami leaned on the console and looked at it. ‘Warp what?’

‘Warp Vortex,’ Duke said. ‘Guess I’ll have to explain this now too. The dark hole you see before you is a special summoning that only a rare black die can produce. It’s a cosmic portal. When monsters jump into it, they’re sent to another place on the board instantly. This other place is determined by wherever the second vortex is laid. That’s where the monster pops out. It takes two vortexes to complete the vortex, creating a Warp Tube and guess what, Yugi? I’ve already got the second location all picked out, deep within your territory and well behind your defences. It’s the perfect spot for easy access to your heart points.’

Yami knew precisely where Duke was thinking.

Duke went on. ‘Now, Yugi, all that stands between you and defeat is the time it takes for my automator to spit out the next rare black die. And I have a feeling it won’t be long now, so start working on your retirement speech.’

Yami tensed. Yugi’s voice in his head, more informed than when they first met so the boy knew the truth this time. _There’s not much I can do. I’ll just have to try and build up my defences!_ Yami picked up the dice and rolled. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ They landed. ‘Two summons.’ He snatched up one of the dice and pressed it down. ‘Dimension the Dice!’ It appeared on the field. ‘Now, Devlin, let’s see how well I’ve learned your game.’ The monster formed on the board. ‘I summon the Strite Ninja!’ It stood up straight. ‘His high speed allows him to move three spaces for each movement crest.’

‘High speed, huh?’ Duke was rubbing his chin. ‘Nice try, but he doesn’t come close to the warp speed that my vortex will give me.’

Maybe, but Yami’s mind was already mapping out all the possibilities. It was clearly something Duke wasn’t doing.

‘Speaking of which…’ Duke picked up his dice and held up another die. ‘Check out this baby.’

‘What is it?’ Yami was slightly apprehensive of the answer.

‘It’s my second black die.’

Yami drew back.

Duke looked at him, smug. ‘Now, I’ll roll to complete the Warp Tube and then finish you off for good.’

‘Oh, no!’ Téa cried.

But Shamee’s voice rang through the Millennium Puzzle. _**The boy’s counting his chickens before they’ve hatched, I think.**_

‘Go, Dice Roll!’ Duke rolled. The dice landed and he looked annoyed. Seemed Shamee was right.

‘Keep the faith, Yugi!’ Téa called.

‘No Warp Vortex,’ Yami said, knowing he was right.

‘Oh, you lucked out,’ Duke said. ‘This time.’

All their friends sighed in relief while those annoying girls whimpered.

‘Your turn, Yugi!’ Téa called to him.

Yami looked over as his automator discharged his dice. ‘What?’ He could hardly believe it. ‘It’s…’ He smirked. ‘Hm. Devlin, I’ve just found a major hole in your plan.’

Duke planted his hands on his hips.

Yami held it up. ‘Or, if you prefer, a vortex – thanks to this.’

It was Devlin’s turn to draw back. ‘A black die?’

On the sidelines their friends cheered. Shamee smirked. Yami rolled. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ The dice landed. ‘Excellent. A pair of summoning crests.’

Duke ground his teeth.

Yami laid the dice. ‘Dimension the Dice!’ It appeared on the field and opened up. ‘Now, I place a second Warp Vortex so that I have easy access to your heart points. Strite Ninja, jump into the Warp Vortex.’ The Ninja shot off, quickly racing across the board and elegantly jumping into the Vortex.

‘No!’ Duke cried. ‘He’s gone into the Warp hole! But that means…’

‘That’s right, Devlin.’ The Strite Ninja surfaced out of the other one. ‘He’ll come out on your side of the field.’ The Ninja ran forward and at Duke’s monsters. ‘Now, Strite Ninja, attack and destroy his Ryukoshin! Stealth Slash Attack!’ The Ninja sliced through the beast and it was destroyed. ‘All right!’

Again his friends cheered and the cheerleaders wailed.

_Duke may have blocked me from being able to extend my Dungeon Path to his heart points but thanks to the Warp Vortex he placed I now have an even better way of getting my monsters over to them. His portal became my way in._

Duke grabbed the dice and let them go. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ He gritted his teeth. Clearly, he didn’t get whatever he’d been hoping for.

It was Yami’s turn. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ The dice landed. ‘Perfect. A set of movement crests!’ He loaded them in. ‘Strite Ninja, advance!’ The Ninja moved. He heard Joey on the sidelines.

‘Oh, yeah! I love watching this dude run!’

‘Now, Strite Ninja, attack his heart point,’ Yami ordered. ‘Lunging Claw Thrust.’ The Ninja leapt up. ‘Attack, now!’ He wiped out one of Duke’s heart points.

‘No!’ Duke cried. ‘My heart point!’ He drew back and growled. On the sidelines, his cheerleaders whinged.

In the meantime, Joey, Téa and Tristan cheered. Shamee smirked in approval.

Duke started laughing again though.

‘What?’ Yami muttered.

‘I’m sorry, Yugi,’ he said. ‘It’s just been so long since anyone’s destroyed one of my heart points.’ He looked up at him. ‘You should really give yourself a pat on the back, cause I guarantee you: it’s not going to be happening again.’ He grabbed his dice. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ They landed. ‘Perfect. A level three summoning.’ He activated it. ‘Dimension the Dice! And unlock my undefeatable monster. I summon Orgoth the Relentless!’ The beast rose up with a loud growl. ‘And next, I’ll use two magic crests.’ They went into him. ‘And activate Orgoth the Relentless’s special attack to raise his power from twenty to thirty.’ The numbers went up. ‘And now, I’ll use two of my stored movement crest dice and position Orgoth for attack.’ He laughed as Orgoth lumbered towards the Strite Ninja. ‘Orgoth the Relentless, attack Strite Ninja! Diamond Blade Strike!’ Orgoth attacked.

Yami reacted. _I better think fast if I wanna save my Ninja. He found what he needed. There, that’s it!_

‘Your Ninja has been destroyed!’ Duke gloated.

‘I wouldn’t be so sure, if I were you,’ Yami said.

‘What?’ Duke demanded.

‘Why don’t you take a closer look, Devlin?’

Duke leaned over and looked down to the smoke. ‘What? I don’t see anything. Huh?’ Then he did. ‘No!’ There was something in the smoke. ‘It can’t be! There! In…In the smoke! The Strite Ninja!’

Yami explained. ‘Sorry, Duke, but just before Orgoth the Relentless attacked I activated my Ninja’s special ability with a stores trap crest. It allows him to quickly dodge any attack that is waged against him and escape harm.’

Duke glared at him.

Yami took his dice. ‘It’s my roll now, Duke.’ The dice landed. ‘And now I can attack again.’ The Strite Ninja leapt up. ‘Strite Ninja, Lunging Claw Thrust!’ And there went another of his heart points.

‘No!’ Duke cried. ‘Not another one of my hearts!’

More caterwauling on the sidelines, barring the ancient.

Yami’s lips twitched. ‘I believe I’ve taken the lead now, Devlin.’

Duke was so angry, he was shaking. He threw. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ They landed. ‘Now, Orgoth, show that Ninja why you’re called “relentless”!’ Orgoth moved to attack again.

Yami looked down and checked his crest pool. _Oh, no! I don’t have any more traps in my crest pool. There’s no way for me to help my Ninja escape this time._

‘Diamond Blade Strike!’ Duke ordered. Orgoth struck and the Strite Ninja was destroyed.

‘Oh, no!’ Tea cried. ‘His Ninja’s been wiped out!’

Duke looked satisfied. ‘You were close, Yugi. Closer than anyone I’ve ever faced but I’m afraid that close doesn’t cut it in Dungeon Dice Monsters. Sure, you may have one heart point more than me, but I have Orgoth the Relentless and none of your monsters will stop him from getting to your heart points. You may have been on the victory trail, Yugi, but now, you’re at a dead end!’

Duke burst out laughing.


	49. Dungeon Dice Monsters Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami draws the game to a close.

‘Go, Dice Roll!’ Yami let the dice go and when they landed, he quickly shared his idea with Yugi. _That’ll work._ ‘All right, looks like I’ve rolled a movement crest with a double movement bonus, Duke. I’ll use it to position my Knight of Twin Swords between your monsters and my heart points.’

Duke toyed with his dice. ‘Nice try, Yugi. But none of your monsters can withstand the force of Orgoth the Relentless.’ He rolled. ‘And he’s coming for you!’ He smirked and chuckled. ‘Orgoth, advance four spaces!’

Yami and Yugi both saw it. _He’s heading right for the Warp Vortex. If he warps, Duke will get through my defences without a fight!_

‘Scared yet?’ Duke was back to gloating. ‘Remember how you used the Warp Vortex to sneak behind my lines. Well, two can play at that game. Orgoth, jump into the Warp Vortex!’   
Orgoth stepped onto the portal and disappeared. He reappeared on the other side of the board. ‘You know how it works, Yugi,’ Duke said. ‘With the Vortex, he instantly warps to your side of the field. The end is near, Yugi.’

Orgoth towered over all three of Yami’s monsters.

‘I think not!’ Yami snapped. ‘Remember, I still have one more heart point than you do.’ He grabbed his dice. ‘And now it’s my turn.’ He let them fly. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ They landed.   
‘There! Using the movement crests, I’ll build a wall around my heart points.’ As he spoke, his monsters moved. ‘First, I’ll move Thunderball into position. Then, Mighty Mage. And, finally, Knight of Twin Swords.’

‘How sad!’ Duke began to mock him. ‘The so-called King of Games is in a desperate retreat. Coward!’ He rolled. ‘Now you’ll see how a real master plays. I’ll use two movement crests from my crest pool to move Orgoth the Relentless into attack range. With the magic crests I rolled, I’ll raise Orgoth’s attack power by ten giving him a total of forty! I told you Orgoth was Relentless, now witness his strength up close. Orgoth the Relentless, attack Thunderball and show your power. Diamond Blade Strike!’ Orgoth raised his sword and slashed through Thunderball.

Yami jammed his eyes shut as his monster was destroyed. He gritted his teeth and looked up at Duke’s smug face.

‘It’s tough to watch, eh, Yugi?’

And there went that annoying cheerleading again.

‘Just two more monsters left!’ Tristan cried. ‘Duke’s taking out Yugi’s defences one-by-one.’

Téa spoke too quietly for Yami to hear her response.

***

Shamee watched Yami grit his teeth. It was kind of an unspoken agreement, since they all found out he was there, that everyone refer to him as Yugi in the presence of “outsiders”.   
That was people like Duke. Speaking of the boy, he was really making her wish she could just cut his tongue out and be done with it!

‘Poor, Yugi. Now what? You can’t summon any more monsters because there’s no room left in your territory.’

Shamee glanced down. That wasn’t true. Shamee could see one more cluster where a die could fall into alignment.

‘You’ve played well for a first-timer, Yugi,’ Duke said. ‘I’ll give you that much. But there’s no way a hack like you could have beat the great Pegasus.’

 _When we get out of this, let’s educate Duke to the Millennium Items,_ Sharee suggested.

Shamee liked the idea.

‘Now, I’m going to expose you as the fraud you really are!’

Yami reached down and took his dice. ‘Don’t write that victory speech just yet, Devlin! This game’s not over. Go, Dice Roll!’ The dice hit the console and Yami turned to his help screen. He grinned. ‘I checked out my help screen, Duke, and found Mighty Mage’s special ability allows it to attack opponents two spaces away.’ He called out the attack. ‘Mighty Mage, Lightning Staff attack!’

‘No worries, I can weaken your magic attack with one defence crest.’ Duke held the die out. ‘Orgoth the Relentless, activate defence!’ The emblem went into Orgoth just before the Mage attacked.

‘Oh, no,’ Yami said. ‘Orgoth withstood the force of Mighty Mage’s attack!’

‘That’s right, Yugi.’ Duke’s voice was nearly sing-song. ‘Orgoth only took ten damage points, dropping his hit points to twenty.’

‘But because Orgoth has an attack power of forty, my Mighty Mage took twenty damage points,’ Yami said. ‘But that still leaves twenty hit points left. He’s not finished yet, Duke.’

‘He will be…after my next turn.’ Duke took his dice and rolled. ‘All right, go Dice Roll! The dice landed. ‘Advance one space, Orgoth the Relentless!’ His creature moved. ‘Right now, Orgoth has an attack power of forty, but his special ability allows me to use six magic crests to increase his attack power by thirty points, more than enough to obliterate your Mage.’ The six crests went into Orgoth and he glowed red around the edges as his attack power went up to seventy.

Yami slid a step forward. ‘Even you should know it takes more than strength to win, Devlin. Without strategy, power’s just an empty threat.’ 

‘Is that so?’ Apparently, Duke didn’t know it. ‘Orgoth, attack Mighty Mage! Super Diamond Blade Strike!’ The blade went through the Mage and he shattered to pieces. Orgoth stood up. Duke seemed to see this as proof that all he needed was brute strength. Yami drew back, fear clouding his heart. He needed help.

Duke laughed, clearly enjoying this far too much. ‘Looks like your beginner’s luck has finally given out, Yugi.’ 

Yami took the dice and clenched them in his hand. Shamee gritted her teeth as she felt Yugi’s fear. The main problem with having two souls in one body was sometimes one soul’s emotions bled through and contaminated those of the other. She may have hated to use the word “contaminated”, but it was the correct term. Yugi’s doubt was currently contaminating Yami’s heart.

Yami leaned on the console.

‘Give it up, Yugi!’ Duke began mocking him as he twirled his hair around his finger again. ‘Stop wasting my time and surrender.’

Yami growled.

The three cheerleaders cheered “Duke” again in that annoying tone.

What Shamee wasn’t expecting was for Joey to call out to him. ‘No, Yugi! You can’t surrender to that blowhard!’

Yami lifted his head and looked over at him. So did the three of them on the sidelines.

Apparently the cheerleaders still weren’t impressed.

‘This mutt just won’t learn!’

‘Bad, bad dog!’

‘That’s it! Get the muzzle!’

And that, apparently, was the last straw. Joey spun around. ‘Muzzle yourselves! I got something to say here!’

The cheerleaders finally backed off, becoming blessedly quiet.

Joey turned back around. ‘Don’t let Duke rattle you, Yug. You’ve been in tougher situations against better duellists that this guy and you’ve always turned it around. You even beat Pegasus and he was a crooked as they come. You won the entire tournament at Duellist Kingdom, Yugi.’

‘Even so, this is different,’ Yami said.

‘Come on!’ Joey told him. ‘This is no time to be humble, buddy! You won the championship because you were the best gamer on the island. Better than Weevil, better than Mako, even better than me and Mai.’

Something twinged in Shamee’s consciousness when he said that…some sense that had slept a very long time. And it was picking something up from Joey.

‘All because you believed in the Heart of the Cards no matter who your opponent was or how tough he seemed,’ Joey said. ‘Don’t forget that you defeated the inventor of Duel Monsters at his own game. You can beat this joker at his. You can’t let this Duke-a-dork shake you. You’re the King of Games, Yug! So what if Dungeon Dice Monsters has a few new rules. If you just trust in yourself, you can still win. You taught me that, pal!’

Shamee would never fail to marvel at how Joey could be a well-meaning moron some days but then came up with the important stuff when it mattered.

_**I’m just gonna thank Ra for that.** _

‘What he said!’ Tristan called.

Téa was quick to call out too. ‘Joey’s right, Yugi! You’ve gotta keep the faith.’

Tristan turned his head. ‘Inspiring speech, Joey. No one can accuse you of rolling over and playing dead.’

Joey’s reaction was to slump over the ledge of the field.

Shamee smirked at him. ‘Just couldn’t resist, could you?’

Duke growled, apparently unimpressed at what he saw across from him – all thanks to “the dog”.

The doubt was gone from Yami’s heart. ‘You know you’re absolutely right, Joey. I can never forget what made me Duel Monsters champion in the first place: believing in the Heart of the Cards. Dungeon Dice Monsters is no different.’ He looked at the dice in the palm of his hand. ‘So long as I have the same faith in my dice that I have in my duelling deck, I can still win this.’ He turned his eyes to his opponent. ‘So I’d advise you to keep your eyes on your last heart point, Duke, because I’m coming after it!’

***

Solomon Moto’s voice came back, something he’d told Yugi long ago: Trust in your heart.

_Let’s do it, partner!_

‘Quit stalling, Yugi!’ Duke called across to him. ‘I’ve got a game to win.’

‘Or to lose!’ Yami snapped. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’ He let the dice go. ‘Now, I use that movement crest to move my Knight forward two squares!’ The Knight moved. ‘Then, I’ll add four attack crests from my crest pool to the two attack crests I just rolled, giving my Knight a total of six attack crests!’ His eyes narrowed. _Orgoth only has a total of five defence crests. With my advantage, I should be able to defeat Orgoth and go on the offensive._ ‘I call on the Knight of Twin Swords!’ The crests all drew together and went into his Knight. ‘Double Slash attack!’ The Knight attack.

‘You amateur!’ Duke exclaimed. ‘You may have six attack crests but I have Uranzo’s special ability.’ As he spoke, he activated it. ‘He can change any crests in my pool to defence crests which allows him to further shield Orgoth from your attack!’

A light shot out from Uranzo and shrouded Orgoth. Every single one of the Knight’s blows was blocked. ‘I can’t believe it! Orgoth stopped all six of the Knight of Twin Swords’ Slash attacks!’

‘I’d say your time’s just about up, Yugi!’ Duke went back to gloating. ‘In a few more rolls of the dice, your heart points are gonna be history.’ He chuckled. ‘And now you see just why they call Orgoth “the Relentless”. You’re finished!’ He rolled. ‘You got nothing left! Orgoth the Relentless, attack the Knight of Twin Swords!’

Orgoth roared and moved.

‘Against an attack power as high as Orgoth’s, my Knight is doomed,’ Yami said. ‘There’s nothing I can do to protect him anymore.’ _**And our heart points are next.**_

Duke called out the attack. ‘Diamond Blade Strike!’ Moments later, the Knight was destroyed.

Yami ground his teeth.

Téa, Tristan and Joey cried out. ‘No, it’s gone!’

‘That was your last monster, Yugi!’ Duke’s voice took on a tone somewhere between angry and mocking. ‘Now, nothing stands in my way. This is gonna be sweet! I’m only one move away from breaking your heart!’

No, something inside Yami whispered, that was done long ago. Duke Devlin wasn’t near capable of that.

‘Pack it in, Yugi!’ Duke barked.

But that wasn’t a part of who he was. ‘It’s easy to give up,’ Yami said. ‘To give in when things get tough, but that’s not the way to win.’ He looked up at the presumptuous boy across from him. ‘I won’t quit, no matter how hopeless it seems, Devlin! That’s not the way to get ahead, either in Duel Monsters or in life.’

Duke was finally beginning to look thoughtful.

‘You know a lot about this game, Duke, but you’ve got a lot to learn about the people you play. Maybe by the time this game is over, you’ll have learned more than just a Dungeon Dice rule.’ He rolled.

‘What you got, preach?’ Duke sounded rather like a petulant child who’d just been told off.

Yami ignored it. ‘No match. There’s nothing I can do this turn.’

‘Ha!’ Duke smirked. ‘So much for your philosophy! You’re the one that’s about to be schooled. What the master roll his dice.’ He let them go. ‘Perfect. Two more movement crests. I move Orgoth the Relentless ahead two spaces, putting him in attack position!’

Yami watched the beat move and gritted his teeth.

‘Orgoth the Relentless, attack Yugi and his heart points!’ Duke ordered, pointing.

‘No!’ Téa cried from the sidelines. ‘Yugi!’

Yami raised his arm to shield his face from the bright light.

‘It’s okay, Yugi,’ Téa called as he lowered his arm. ‘You still have one heart point left.’

‘You only have one more turn before Orgoth destroys your last heart point,’ Duke said. ‘Finally, I’ll avenge Pegasus’s loss and expose you as the phoney you are!’

‘I wouldn’t gloat just yet, Devlin!’ Yami barked. ‘All I have to do is summon a monster and I can turn this match around.’

‘Dream on!’ Duke insisted. He smirked and tapped one of his dice against the console. ‘Sure, it sounds simple, but I control the field, Yugi! You don’t have any room left to dimension the dice.’

But he was wrong.

***

Shamee was about ready to slap those cheerleaders.

And Duke wasn’t too far down the list either. ‘Millions of game fans around the world are glued to the TV, waiting for me to show you up for the fake you really are. So this is the moment of truth, Yugi.’

Yes, it was the moment of truth. Yami clearly realised that better than she did. He looked at his dice in the palm of his hand. He curled his fingers around them and closed his eyes, faith growing stronger and stronger in his heart. Then he moved. ‘Go, Dice Roll!’

The dice landed. Yami smiled.

Duke smirked. ‘Nice roll. Too bad I’ve got you so boxed in you can’t dimension the dice.’

Arrogant child.

Yami chuckled. ‘Don’t be so sure.’

‘What do you mean?’ Duke demanded.

‘There’s more than one way to dimension the dice, Duke Devlin,’ Yami stated. You just have to believe.’

‘Don’t tell me how to play my game!’ Duke barked at him.

‘I’ll let the dice tell you.’ Yami held one of them up and then pulled it down into the console. ‘Dimension the Dice!’ The die rose up on the field and began to fall open.

‘Huh, he doesn’t stand a chance!’ Duke’s surety got the best of him before he saw that all sides of the dice were going to land just fine. ‘No! It’s falling perfectly into alignment! You completed the summoning!’

‘Yes,’ Yami said. ‘And now, I summon the Dark Magician!’

‘The Dark Magician?’ Duke demanded as the creature took form. ‘Oh, no!’

‘The Dark Magician has never failed me, Duke. All I had to do was trust my dice and, sure enough, he has appeared!’

The Dark Magician stood there in all his glory.

If Shamee thought about it, the monster looked like Mahad. She hadn’t noticed that before, but it was clear Duke really hadn’t been expecting that. Around her, their other friends cheered. Shamee sniggered to herself at the thought. The kid was about to learn this lesson the hard way. Shamee noticed Sharee lean on her shoulder, smirk across her face.

_**You want to crow like a jackass right now, don’t you?** _

_So much._

***

Yami traced the field. ‘I move the Dark Magician forward. I’ll use his forty attack points to bring down Orgoth the Relentless. Dark Magic Attack!’ The Dark Magician flew at Duke’s beast. He lifted his staff forward and the magic shot out. Orgoth was digitised. ‘With only twenty defence points, Orgoth couldn’t stand up to my powerful magician.’

‘Hang that from your ear and dangle it, Dukey-boy!’ Joey crowed as Téa and Tristan cheered.

Duke’s fist clenched and he gritted his teeth. He rolled. ‘Your comeback ends now!’ The dice landed. ‘Ha! I move the Dark Assailant!’ His creature jumped a few spaces until he got to the chest Duke had called earlier. The Assailant perched itself on the chest.

‘What’s that skull-head up to?’ Joey asked.

Yami had to wonder the same thing.

Duke smirked. ‘Remember when I told you about item summoning, Yugi? The time has come. Dark Assailant, open the treasure chest!’ The Assailant leapt up, breaking the lock as he did so.

_He’s starting the summoning. What can it be?_

The chest exploded. ‘Say to Monster Cannon!’ When the smoke cleared, the Dark Assailant was perched on a cannon that was strapped to a dinosaur-like monster’s back.

Téa’s voice was only just audible. ‘What’s that thing do?’

Duke heard her too. ‘What’s it do? It takes down Yugi’s Dark Magician!’ He smirked. ‘What’s the matter, Yugi? You’ve never heard of the Monster Cannon? That’s too bad, cause if you had you’d know that Monster Cannon is a weapon that fires a monster at the enemy instead of a cannon ball.’ He pointed. ‘Today’s target: your Dark Magician.’ The beast moved. ‘Monster Cannon, ready!’ The Assailant jumped around and into the nozzle of the cannon. ‘Aim…’

But Yami had been scouring the help screen. ‘I activate Dark Magician’s special ability now!’

‘You what?’ Duke drew back.

‘Conceal yourself with Magical Hats!’ The first hat materialised over the Dark Magician and it multiplied. The hats shifted around before settling to hide the Magician from sight. ‘Feeling lucky, Devlin? My mage is under one of these hats but you only have one shot to get it right.’

‘Your carnival tricks won’t save you this time, Yugi!’ Duke spat. ‘Monster Cannon, attack the Dark Magician underneath the second hat from the left! Fire!’ The Assailant was fired and hit the hat, exploding like a martyr. ‘It’s gotta be there!’

The smoke cleared. ‘Looks like you guessed wrong,’ Yami said. One of the hats at the end opened up and the Dark Magician emerged from it.

‘No!’ Duke cried. ‘It can’t be! He survived?’

Yami leaned on the console. ‘I should thank you, Duke, for making the Dark Magician special abilities in this game the same as in Duel Monsters.’

‘Uranzo, retreat you your original square!’ Duke ordered. The monster was quick to obey.

‘You can run, Devlin, but you can’t hide!’ Yami rolled. The dice landed. ‘I’ll use those two magic crests to activate another special ability. My Dark Magician’s Mystic Box!’

From the look on his face, he didn’t know this one too well. It seemed Pegasus was the only one who’d ever seen that one coming. But, then again, his Millennium Eye had allowed him to read minds – a feat that had been halted at the time Yami had to use the card on him.

The Mystic Box materialised and the Dark Magician hopped into it. ‘Your Warp Vortex inspired me to find an alternative path to your side of the field.’ As Yami said this, the swords appeared and rained down from the sky, sliding into the slits and piercing what was inside.

‘How are you going to do that? By skewering your own monster?’ Yeah, Duke didn’t know this one. The doors of the Mystic Box opened, revealing the truth. The monster’s arm dangled down before it disintegrated. ‘No, Uranzo!’ The Dark Magician leapt out of a second Box, magically there, and unharmed. ‘Your Magician switched position with my monster!’

The Dark Magician lifted a hand and shook his finger at Duke.

‘And now he’s in attack position!’ Duke cried. ‘And there’s nothing between us to protect my heart points!’

‘Which means he’ll deliver the final blow!’ Yami gave the order. ‘Dark Magic Attack!’ The Dark Magician lifted his staff and the dark magic shot out. It hit Duke’s final heart point.   
The creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters cried out as it was extinguished. Defeated, Duke slumped over his console.

Joey was the first one to make noise. ‘My dog days are over!’

The eye of the Millennium Puzzle flashed. Yami smiled.

***

A small group of teenagers and an elderly man sat around in the Moto’s living room. One of them had his head hung in shame. He was the first one to speak.

‘Yugi, I’m sorry I accused you of cheating. The better player won today and it was you. You proved you really did beat Pegasus, fair and square.’ He groaned. ‘I was such a creep today, and thanks to those TV cameras, the whole world knows it. My store is ruined!’

Sharee smiled. ‘Well, I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘Come on,’ Duke said. ‘No one’s gonna wanna play Dungeon Dice Monsters now.’

Yugi agreed with her. ‘That’s not true at all, Duke. Dungeon Dice Monsters has the potential to become a huge hit.’

‘True,’ his grandfather said. ‘I haven’t seen a game this exciting since Duel Monsters. You’ve got to keep your store open.’

‘There’s more than enough room for two game stores in town.’ Téa added her bit in. ‘I’ve got a feeling once Dungeon Dice Monsters takes off, you’ll both have all the customers you can handle.’

Duke lifted his head, surprised. ‘No way. Do you really think so?’

‘Sure.’ Joey picked up one of the dice. ‘Dice Monsters is great. It’s you I don’t like.’

Tristan also had one. ‘I’d love to learn how to play Dice Monsters!’

‘I can teach you,’ Duke said.

‘Great!’

‘Now that Joey’s out of the doghouse, maybe things will get back to normal around here,’ Yugi said. ‘Which means that I can finally get back to playing Duel Monsters.’

Sharee chuckled. ‘You know, normal for us.’

Duke looked at him, surprised again. ‘So that’s it? How can you let me off so easy, Yugi? I was a total jerk to you and your friends.’

True, but Sharee had always said Yugi had an overly forgiving personality.

‘The game is over now,’ he said. ‘Let’s just leave the fighting on the field because revenge leaves you with nothing but more bad feelings, Duke.’ Yugi smiled. ‘And if you’re truly sorry, the best thing to do is be friends.’

Duke nodded. ‘I am sorry.’ He looked up at him. ‘And you’re offering me something better than winning.’

Yugi offered Duke his hand. ‘Friendship always is.’ Duke smiled and shook it. There was a quiet moment around the table then the laptop in front of Duke started beeping. ‘Hey, Duke. Sounds like you got a new email.’

Duke turned to his computer and answered it.

‘Anything good?’ Joey asked.

Duke’s face immediately lit up. ‘Whoa, Industrial Illusions did send a contract after all! And they want to take Dungeon Dice Monsters global!’

‘That’s great,’ Sharee said as the rest of them chattered to the same effect.

‘Congratulations, Duke,’ Yugi said.

Duke smiled. ‘Thank you so much, Yugi. I really couldn’t have done it without you setting me straight.’

‘Duke, you invented a great game,’ Yugi told him.

‘But you made me see it was missing something. That a game’s not just about mastering the rules, but about getting to know your opponent.’

Yugi grinned. ‘Right! It’s not all about rules and how to win.’

‘It’s about putting your heart into it,’ Sharee said. ‘And it’s about having fun and making new friends.’

Téa grinned at her. ‘I guess that’s why you don’t play competitively.’

Sharee threw her head back and laughed.

Yugi had to agree with Sharee. And she understood the best biggest concept of friendship more than anyone else… _Because you never know where you’re gonna find them or, once you’ve met them, how close they’re going to become._ In his mind he heard the knowing and good-natured chuckle of Yami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 is already written up. I'm rereading it and rewatching the series before I post.


End file.
